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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30117810">Tokyo: Time and Again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptplayer5701/pseuds/tptplayer5701'>tptplayer5701</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"Mind Games"-verse [43]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Music, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Japan, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Culture, Manga &amp; Anime Inspired, POV Kagami Tsurugi, POV Luka Couffaine, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Second Chances, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, Time Loop, World Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:22:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>43,527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30117810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptplayer5701/pseuds/tptplayer5701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A "Mind Games"-verse story:</p><p>Kagami’s mother cleared her throat. “Now that you are legally of age, you will begin to work for Tsurugi as a normal part-time employee. One of your first official responsibilities will be to represent the company in Tokyo.” Her smile widened the tiniest fraction. “I am sure you will enjoy seeing your Oba and Oji again after so long away.”</p><p>Kagami nodded her acceptance. “Very well, Mother,” she agreed. Her mother relaxed her mouth slightly. “However, I have certain conditions to negotiate before signing this contract. Luka can come with me."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kagami Tsurugi &amp; Longg, Kagami Tsurugi &amp; Tomoe Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine &amp; Sass, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"Mind Games"-verse [43]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I apologize in advance for any Japanese that I butcher over the course of this story. I try my best, but every so often the almighty Google Translate fails me.</p><p>I really do enjoy receiving reviews, even if you don’t have too much to say!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As a note on the timing, this chapter takes place before the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29858850/chapters/73694304">“Couffaines”</a> chapter of “Christmas,” but the rest of this story takes place in the days/weeks following that chapter. And this is pretty significant to “Tokyo,” so I didn’t want to publish it as a “Life and Times” one-shot before “Christmas.”</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Kagami schooled her expression and tried to calm her racing heartbeat, standing in the reception area just outside her mother’s company office. It had been months since her mother last scheduled an appointment to talk to her about company business – the day she informed Kagami that her summer internship would be at the Agreste Fashion House, rather than directly working for the Tsurugi Marketing Group. Since then, every single one of their company-related interactions had been at Kagami’s instigation – when Kagami took on Kitty Section as a client, when she requested permission to give Mylène’s father a free consultation in the fall, when Kitty Section’s fall album needed an extra marketing push to counterbalance XY’s aborted “Xtreme tonalitY” stunt. In all of that time, Kagami had fulfilled every requirement her mother had set before her, exceeding every stated expectation. After the end of her summer internship, Kagami had returned to her internship for Tsurugi on top of beginning her last year of lycée, and had only heard positive feedback from her supervisors – despite working closely with her mother’s management team. All of her clients had given her glowing reviews – and not just her friends like Kitty Section and the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie. So today’s meeting couldn’t be anything bad…</p><p class="Preference">… but that didn’t mean it had to be anything good, either.</p><p class="Preference">Her heart pounding in her chest, Kagami patted her purse, feeling for Longg’s comforting presence. There were days when she didn’t think she could get through everything without the Kwami by her side, giving her the confidence to stand up under the mountainous pressure that her mother placed on her. Even on the rare days when she was too busy to see Luka or Marinette or her other friends, she still had Longg. Her strength and resolve returned, Kagami nodded to herself and pushed open the office door. Her mother sat behind the desk, her hands folded in front of her, two folders open on the desk facing the chair in which Kagami was obviously supposed to sit. Kagami quietly crossed the room, all too aware of her mother’s sunglasses following her every step – blind though she might be, her hearing was still as sharp as ever. Kagami dropped stiffly onto the edge of the chair and sat, back ramrod-straight, waiting for her mother to make the first move.</p><p class="Preference">After a moment, her mother cleared her throat. “I have a belated birthday gift for you.”</p><p class="Preference">“Thank you, Mother,” Kagami replied evenly, “but you didn’t have to; the new epee was more than enough.”</p><p class="Preference">Her mother smiled thinly. “I hope you put it to good use in the tournament this weekend. But no, this is a gift of a different sort.” She pushed one of the folders closer to Kagami, and Kagami began to read, her brows furrowing in confusion. Even before she had finished the first paragraph, her mother spoke up to explain, “Now that you are legally of age, you will begin to work for Tsurugi as a normal part-time employee. No more of this internship; you will be an official member of this company. Your new position will begin the moment we sign your contract. One of your first official responsibilities will be to represent the company – to represent <em>me</em> – in the end-of-year consultations with our Asian clients, including meetings with your uncle’s firm. I have arranged them to take place during the Winter Break, the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Consequently, you will operate out of the Tokyo office.” Her smile widened the tiniest fraction. “Your Ojisan has invited you to stay at the family estate for the duration of this trip, and I am sure you will enjoy seeing your Obasan and Ojisan again after so long away. As well as seeing your cousins, of course.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami blinked twice, struggling to keep her face neutral. On some level, Kagami had known and expected this for her entire life: every move her mother had made in the last eighteen years had been precisely calculated toward the objective of Kagami joining and eventually managing the family business. In that time there had only been a single deviation from the plan of which her mother was aware. And until last year, Kagami had simply accepted this fate as being a fact of life. But in that year she had learned better. She was now a Hero of Paris – she was a Dragon! She <em>didn’t</em> have to follow her mother’s plan; she could make her own decisions. Even if she’d only truly exercised that ability once so far.</p><p class="Preference">So was this what she really wanted?</p><p class="Preference">Her mother’s sunglasses were still burning a hole into Kagami’s face, the lines around her mouth set firmly, waiting for Kagami’s answer.</p><p class="Preference">At last Kagami nodded her acceptance. “Very well, Mother,” she agreed. Her mother relaxed her mouth slightly. “However, I have certain conditions to negotiate before signing this contract.”</p><p class="Preference">Her mother frowned, her brows knit together in consternation. “You would negotiate your entry into the company that bears your surname?”</p><p class="Preference">“I am accepting a job offer,” Kagami responded calmly, raising an eyebrow. She slipped her hand into her purse to find Longg, drawing strength from him. She could do this. When next she spoke, her voice was stronger. “You have always given me the impression that such events are accompanied by negotiation.”</p><p class="Preference">Her mother smiled thinly. “I see you <em>have</em> picked some things up,” she conceded. “Very well; we can… ‘negotiate.’ What are your conditions?”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami paused, staring down at the paperwork in front of her, and thought for a moment. What <em>did</em> she want out of this? And how best could she accomplish her desires? The first condition was obvious – it was no more than what the law required, especially since she was now legally an adult. “My paycheck is my own spending money. It will go into my own bank account and not into my trust. And you have no say over how I spend it.”</p><p class="Preference">“Provided you do not spend it on a drug addiction, that is acceptable.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami frowned, but noticed her mother’s nostrils turned up in one of her few signs of amusement. Letting that go for now, she continued, “I will not work more than twenty hours per week when school is in session, and less during finals.” She smiled thinly. “After all, ‘school is our greatest priority,’ and you wish for me to pass lycée with high marks, correct?”</p><p class="Preference">Her mother paused, her head tilting slightly at hearing her own words parroted back at her. Eventually she inclined her head in a nod. “That is indeed my intent,” she allowed. “Your schoolwork certainly comes first. However, during school breaks your hours will be more flexible.”</p><p class="Preference">“Within reason,” Kagami agreed cautiously. “Which is my next condition: absolutely no interference with my social life. In addition to time for homework, I will also require at least two evenings during the week entirely free, so I can spend time with my friends.” She held her breath. This might be a deal breaker for her mother, but in the end Kagami still held some cards. After all, if her mother <em>was</em> going to insist on continuing to interfere in her social life so long as Kagami lived under her roof… Kagami didn’t actually <em>have</em> to live under her roof any longer. Her birthday present from Adrien and Marinette, in addition to the Marinette-original fencing uniform she was going to wear for the tournament, had been the offer of a room at the Mansion indefinitely – until she found an apartment of her own. And Anarka had actually looked disappointed when Kagami told her that she was planning to continue living at home, rather than moving into the <em>Liberty</em>’s spare room – even if she <em>did</em> spend almost all of her (admittedly limited) free time on the <em>Liberty</em>.</p><p class="Preference">Her mother thought for a moment before nodding. “I can give you two evenings off per week under ordinary circumstances, with the specific nights to be flexible. However,” she added quickly, “if a client needs your assistance, you may have to adjust your schedule.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami furrowed her brows in thought. Could this give her mother something else to hold over her? But at the same time, it was more leniency than she had reasonably expected. And it was actually <em>less</em> than the level of control her mother usually exerted over her schedule. “Agreed.”</p><p class="Preference">“Very well. I will accept all your conditions. If there is nothing else–”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami cleared her throat. “I do have one final condition: if he wishes, Luka can join me on this trip to Japan.” She smiled triumphantly as her mother sat back to contemplate this last request, steepling her fingers in surprise. It was both the most difficult request and the easiest one. On the one hand, this would be a public acknowledgement by her mother that she approved of both Luka and their relationship – something she had yet to do despite giving them her blessing over the summer. Even when Luka had escorted her to company functions in the fall, her mother had only called him a “client.” And yet, it was also entirely irrelevant for her mother to approve of him traveling with her. Kitty Section’s latest album had sold so well, and their concert in Le Havre had been so well received – both overseen by Kagami herself on behalf of the Tsurugi Group – that Luka could easily afford to fly to Japan separately, book a hotel, and see her every day with or without her mother’s blessing. And from the way her mother’s forehead creased, Kagami could tell she realized exactly that.</p><p class="Preference">Though it would not change anything in practical terms, her mother’s response would be the barometer for their relationship moving forward.</p><p class="Preference">With a heavy sigh, her mother slowly nodded. “Provided that he comports himself properly, does not shame us before my brother and his family, and does not bring the company name into disrepute, yes. Luka may accompany you on this business trip.”</p><p class="Preference">“Then under these conditions, I will accept your job offer,” Kagami replied, sitting back in her chair and smiling in relief.</p><hr/><p>“So how did it go?” Luka slowly plucked a melody on his guitar. The two of them were sitting together on his bed, Kagami leaning against the side of the boat while he faced her at the foot. Sass and Longg sat on the edge of the dresser, watching them curiously.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami frowned, hugging her knees. “Better than I expected it to go. She hired me, so now I’m an ‘official’ employee.”</p><p class="Preference">He hummed, shifting to a slower and more thoughtful tune. “I suppose that’s what she’s been wanting all along,” he observed. She nodded. “But is it what <em>you</em> want?”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s the question, isn’t it?”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s always going to be the question, babe,” he replied, strumming a couple of sad chords. “It’s <em>your</em> choice. So <em>is</em> this your choice?”</p><p class="Preference">“Yes?” She shrugged helplessly. “I made the choice, at least. It’s what Mother has been raising me for since I was born. This company is important – we help a lot of people, and not just the big names like Agreste. I’ve also helped Tom and Sabine get their name out more. M. Haprèle’s enrollment this fall was double last year, probably because of my social media campaign.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m pretty sure you’re the reason our Le Havre concert was such a success,” Luka observed, nodding. He leaned his guitar against the dresser and slid down the bed to sit next to her.</p><p class="Preference">“<em>You</em>’re the reason the concert went so well,” Kagami objected, leaning into his side. She sighed. “For as important as those big names are to the company’s bottom line, this is what I want to do more of: helping the smaller businesses. And that’s something I can do best as part of Tsurugi. Plus, after so long, I think it’s something I’m good at.”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s definitely something you’re good at,” he agreed. He draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. “You could do pretty much anything you set your mind to.” She turned to find his lips with her own, basking in the feeling of closeness. He paused, humming in concern. “What does this mean for your current clients?”</p><p class="Preference">She furrowed her brows. “I–huh. I don’t know,” she admitted, looking down. “I guess any <em>new</em> clients will have to be at the regular rate; I’ll have to check with Mother about existing clients. That might make it harder for M. Haprèle or the Dupain-Chengs to afford it… But the fees we charge aren’t exactly arbitrary; Tsurugi has employees to pay, overhead expenses…” She let out a frustrated groan. “But there’s no way I’m letting anything change with Kitty Section,” she added earnestly.</p><p class="Preference">“I wasn’t worried,” he assured her, smiling.</p><p class="Preference">She squeezed him tighter, resting her head against his chest. “And I’m not letting anything change with <em>us</em>.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not sure if any planes with this exact configuration fly the route from Paris to Tokyo. I found one the first time I looked, but not the second.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting in his spacious first class seat, several hours into their flight, Luka hardly noticed everything happening around him. People walked up and down the aisle. Flight attendants moved through the cabin, handing out drinks and meals – Kagami had requested an extra bag of dried fruit for the two Kwamis to share. At the moment, Kagami was busily typing away on her own tablet, working up a proposal for one of her client meetings. The two Kwamis perched on the armrest between them, their snack bag pinned between them, watching as they worked.</p><p>Not for the first time was Luka grateful for the new professional-grade headphones Nino had suggested. Despite the roaring engine noise of the plane, he could hear the music on his tablet as clear as if he were playing it himself in his room – almost like being in a professional recording studio for quality. Huh. Something sounded slightly off… He frowned, paused the playback, and moved the recording back, replaying the last two measures. Unfortunately, thanks to that clarity, he could also hear every discordant harmony. It took another two replays before he could isolate the problem chord stack. He shifted one note up a half-step and listened to it again. Perfect.</p><p>He was about to replay to the entire song from the beginning when he felt a slight pressure on his shoulder. Kagami leaned over the armrest, her chin propped on his shoulder, watching him work, a fond look in her eyes. Absently Luka planted a kiss in her hair before pushing the armrest out of the way and resting his cheek against the crown of her head. The two Kwamis dropped through the armrest as he moved it and flitted across to settle on the tray table. Setting his tablet next to them, Luka pulled the headphones off his ears to rest around his neck and placed his hand on Kagami’s thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze.</p><p>“Is this a new song you’re working on?” she asked curiously.</p><p>“Want to listen to it?” When she nodded and sat up, he handed her the headphones and pressed play. He watched her eyes dart across the screen as she read the lyrics, her head bobbing in time while the music software played.</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” she finally told him when the song had ended, not looking away from the screen. “It almost sounds anime.” She scrolled back to the top and read through the lyrics again. Staring at her eyes, Luka could see the exact moment that it sunk in. She set the tablet down and stared at him wide-eyed, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Did… did you write it about me?”</p><p>He smiled tenderly. “I guess you’re my muse,” he answered, his voice barely audible over the engine noise. He wrapped his arm around her back, sliding it down to rest his hand on her waist. “Though if I’m being honest, I think you’ve been my muse longer than I realized.” She leaned her head on Luka’s shoulder, though not before he saw how much redder her cheeks had gotten. A different strain entered her heart song, shifting the song he knew so well. “Too much?” he asked worriedly.</p><p>She tilted her head to give him a surprised look. “No!” she assured him earnestly. “Definitely not. Just… I already knew how much you cared about me, but I guess this drove it home so much more.”</p><p>Luka felt heat rise in his own cheeks but leaned down to find her lips with his own. She sighed and rolled to her side and over the dividing ridge separating their seats, swinging her legs across his lap. He slid his hand down to the small of her back to hold her in place, cupping her face with his other hand, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She broke the kiss first and rested her cheek against his collarbone, humming in contentment, her hand on his chest. He placed his lips against her forehead and took in the scent of her shampoo. Closing his eyes he listened to the song he had grown to love so much, soft and tender with just a hint of the vulnerability that she hid so well from everyone else but could never hide from him. “I love you,” he whispered softly.</p><p>She sighed and squeezed his chest tightly. “And I love you, too. So much. I’m so glad you’re coming with me on this trip.”</p><p>He smiled. “You follow my lead so often,” he joked, “it seemed right for <em>me</em> to follow <em>you</em> for once!” She giggled softly, though Luka could feel the slight tension in her shoulders, matching the anxious strain in her song. He placed a finger under her chin and tipped it up to meet her eyes. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>She gave him a confused look, but it only lasted for a moment. “How do you know me better than I know myself?” she wondered, letting out a heavy sigh. “I’m glad Mother agreed to this. It means so much – not just that you came but that she agreed to it!”</p><p>“Are you afraid she still thinks I’m not good enough for you?” he asked with some amusement.</p><p>Kagami scoffed. “I don’t think she would accept anything <em>less</em> than perfect for any man who would court me,” she answered. Her frown shifted. “Too bad for her that you <em>are</em> perfect,” she murmured, resting her head against his chest.</p><p>Watching them from the seatback pouch, Longg hummed. “I would not call <em>either</em> of you ‘perfect’,” he observed slowly.</p><p>“Indeed,” agreed Sass. “Perfection sssuggestsss that there is no room for improvement. And while you ssstrive to attain that goal, to achieve it would beget ssstagnation.”</p><p>Kagami frowned at the Kwamis. “Perfect for <em>me</em>, then.”</p><p>Luka grinned, rubbing her arm. “And yet you’re still anxious.”</p><p>She fixed him with a deadpan glare. “I hate it when you do that.” He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. “Yes, I’m still anxious,” she admitted, looking away. “What if this trip doesn’t go well?”</p><p>“Afraid I’ll make a bad impression on your Uncle?” he asked sympathetically.</p><p>“Kind of,” she admitted, pursing her lips. “It’s just…” She trailed off, her eyes drifting away from his face to stare down at his shirt, clenching the fabric in one hand.</p><p>He sighed heavily. “This is the first time you’ve ever done something on your own – the biggest stage for the company and the first big test for <em>us</em>. What if we mess it up?”</p><p>She nodded and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against his neck. “Mother’s family is <em>so</em> traditional, <em>so</em> set in their ways. Mother is so proud of her samurai heritage – that’s part of the reason why she and Ojisan place so much emphasis on learning to fence. Please don’t misunderstand,” she added quickly. “I absolutely love both Ojisan and Mother, but the littlest thing could cause shame. And if Ojisan decides he doesn’t like you, he’ll tell Mother, and how might she react?”</p><p>He held her close, willing her to feel his love and comfort. “I promise I’ll do my best. I want to make the best impression I can on your family,” he assured her. “This is important to you, and you are important to me. I would never do something to jeopardize this.”</p><p>“You’re important to me, too,” she insisted, mouth set firmly, eyes hard. “And even <em>if</em> Mother decided to withdraw her blessing, there’s no way I would go along with that. <em>She</em> doesn’t control my life anymore: <em>I</em> do.”</p><p>He watched her closely: the tension in her lips, the lines around her eyes. For years under her mother’s thumb, she had been alone, without anyone to speak for her or ask what she wanted. Now, in the last year, she had finally begun to assert herself independent of her mother’s expectations and demands. And while Tomoe had been willing to compromise recently, Kagami still worried that this freedom could be illusory, that her mother’s attitude could change. “If that were to happen, though, it would make life that much harder for you,” Luka finished sympathetically. She tensed, looking away. “But you are not alone in this, babe. You know I’ll be right here with you through this – whatever happens.”</p><p>She nodded, squeezing him tighter. “I know. I trust you.” She fell quiet, the tension still present in her shoulders.</p><p>“You’re still anxious,” he observed, kneading her shoulder blades with his fingers.</p><p>She groaned, rolling her head and leaning forward to let him massage her neck. Finally she sighed. “It’s this trip,” she admitted, letting out a breath. “Working for Mother <em>feels</em> different now. It isn’t just hanging out with my friends and tasting pastries anymore. Some of these are companies that Mother has been working with since before I was born. Some of the people I’m going to meet on this trip watched me grow up – they have <em>grandchildren</em> older than me! And if I make a mistake…”</p><p>Luka paused with his hand on the base of her neck. “How long have you been doing this, babe?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair.</p><p>“Too long and not long enough.”</p><p>He chuckled. “You’ve got this,” he told her. “You know what you’re doing – you practically eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff!”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t be.”</p><p>“I imagine it’s boring to listen to it…”</p><p>“Actually, I find it more adorable than anything!”</p><p>“I sssuppossse this is an example of how well you complement each other,” Sass mused, glancing at Longg.</p><p>“That is the best foundation for a relationship,” Longg agreed. “The only way that you can remain together is to be willing to work together and compromise.”</p><p>“Are you thinking long-term?” asked Luka, arching an eyebrow.</p><p>“Are you <em>not</em>?” Sass retorted, giving him a knowing look.</p><p>Kagami giggled, her song lighter than it had been. “You know,” she began, “on that subject… The last time Adrien and Marinette flew somewhere together, they returned engaged.”</p><p>Luka’s lips turned up in a smile, looking down into her eyes. “Are you hoping this will end the same?”</p><p>She leaned back and gave him a mischievous smirk. “Well? Is that what <em>you</em>’re hoping for?” He chuckled, thinking about the engagement ring he’d considered buying with one of his royalty checks last month – a simple band with a small diamond that was less likely to give her trouble while fencing. At the time, however, he had decided against the purchase, though the thought remained in the back of his mind. Kagami gave him a quick kiss and admitted, “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nowhere else I would want to be and no one else I would want to be with than right here with you. But still. We’ve only been dating six months.”</p><p>He nodded and gave her another tender kiss. “I agree we’re not quite there yet,” he told her. “All the same, I absolutely do want to spend the rest of my life with you. So when the time is right…”</p><p>She smiled. “When the time is right, you know me so well, I think you already know what my answer will be.” She stifled a yawn, and Luka checked his watch. “What time is it?” she asked, her eyes drifting closed.</p><p>“What time <em>zone</em> is it?” he replied with a shrug. “It’s definitely bedtime <em>somewhere</em>, whatever time it might be here – and wherever ‘here’ even is. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a nap.” He hit the seat control to recline his seat back into a bed and shifted onto his side to give Kagami a little more space on the seat. Kagami stretched out next to him, her arm snaking around to his back. He ran his hand down her side and held her against him, and pulled a blanket over them both as she snuggled in under his chin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've noticed that there are quite a few people reading this who are "Lukagami" fans. If you are new, welcome! I actually have a series with their relationship before now ("The Snake and the Dragon") there are a bunch of one-shot anthologies included in there; I tried to list out which chapters of those are related to them.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Kagami clutched Luka’s hand tightly as, luggage in hand, they made their way past customs to where her cousin was waiting to meet them. Luka gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, rubbing slow circles into the back of her hand with his thumb. She gave him a tight-lipped smile and released a slow breath, allowing her nervousness out. “Don’t forget what I said about proper etiquette!” she hissed.</p><p class="Preference">“Proper what?” he asked, wide-eyed.</p><p class="Preference">She looked up at him in surprise and he smiled. She glared at him halfheartedly and rolled her eyes. “Not funny,” she grumbled.</p><p class="Preference">“It’s going to be fine,” he assured her, squeezing her hand and giving her a tug until she stopped walking just before they reached the corner.</p><p class="Preference">“I hope so…” Kagami forced herself to breathe normally as they stepped out of the flow of traffic. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead into Luka’s chest, clenching his hand tightly. He kissed her forehead, and she sighed.</p><p class="Preference">“You truly are not alone, Kagami-san,” Longg piped up from her purse.</p><p class="Preference">She nodded. “Thank you.” She let out a breath. “I’m okay.” Luka gave her hand another squeeze as they rounded the corner and left the secure area, approaching the airport exit. Her eyes wandered across the sea of people, looking for a familiar face. The crowd pressed in around them. Finally she found her cousin, standing near the exit and watching them impassively. “Shiro!” she called, dragging both Luka and her suitcase over to him. He inclined his head slightly, a gesture which she returned.</p><p class="Preference">“So good to see you, cousin,” Shiro responded, looking her up and down. “You are well? The flight was comfortable?”</p><p class="Preference">“I am very well,” she assured him with a small smile. “We had no difficulties on the flight – it was rather relaxing.” She squeezed Luka’s hand, her nervousness returning in full force. “This is Luka, my boyfriend.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka held out his hand to Shiro, and Kagami elbowed him in the side. Shiro, however, took the offered hand, shaking it firmly. “It is nice to meet you,” Luka told him, inclining his head also.</p><p class="Preference">“Likewise. I have heard very little – my Obasan has been rather tight-lipped.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami sighed. “You know my Mother – of a set with Ojisan.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. I look forward to getting to know you better, Luka.”</p><p class="Preference">“Same,” Luka agreed, smiling.</p><p class="Preference">“Shall we?” Shiro gestured toward the exit. “My parents are expecting us shortly.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami followed him out the door to the waiting car for the short ride to the family residence just north of Tokyo. The silent driver stuffed their bags into the trunk while Shiro, Luka, and her got into the back seat. Kagami sat in the middle, between Shiro and Luka, her back straight.</p><p class="Preference">“How was university?” she asked Shiro as the car pulled away.</p><p class="Preference">“Fine,” he answered.</p><p class="Preference">“You studied Accounting?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro nodded.</p><p class="Preference">Out the window, looking past Luka, Kagami could see the tower housing the Tsurugi Group’s Asian headquarters, where most of her meetings were going to happen. Only a few blocks from there on the same street was the Kikai Tower, which housed Ojisan’s company as well as the music distributor with whom Luka would meet in the morning. “Are you going to be coming into the office with us tomorrow?” she asked. “Finances are going to come up.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro’s jaw clenched and unclenched. “I do not know,” he admitted.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami furrowed her eyebrows, examining him closely.</p><p class="Preference">“Your thing is the numbers?” asked Luka curiously. When Shiro nodded, he continued, “That is one part of the business that I just do not get. I know we need it, and I appreciate having someone to take care of it, but I just prefer the music.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro let out a small snort. “You do not want to lose control of your finances,” he warned, raising an eyebrow. “It is far too easy to lose everything that way.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka grinned. “Our band’s ‘accountant’ said the same thing – though his exact phrase was ‘you can lose your <em>shirts</em>’, since he owns a fashion house!”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro cracked a small smile. Kagami laughed. “That does sound like Adrien,” she agreed.</p><p class="Preference">They lapsed into silence and the kilometers ticked away. Kagami frowned pensively, looking past Luka at the Tokyo skyline. Both she and Luka had important meetings in the morning. And unfortunately the music distributor had only been available at the same time as her meeting with Ojisan and his board. Her breathing hitched. She was here to represent her mother’s company – the company which her mother expected her to take over in a few years, a plan which she had (from a certain perspective) accepted last month when she signed her contract. How would she be able to do this?</p><p class="Preference">Luka’s hold on her hand tightened, and she glanced over to find him watching her closely. She gave him a subtle nod, and the pressure eased. Her free hand found her purse and the two Kwamis therein. She may be here representing her mother’s company, but she was not here alone.</p><p class="Preference">After a silent car ride they pulled up in front of the house where her mother had grown up. The car stopped right in front of the main entrance, and the driver pulled out their luggage and carried it up to the front door before returning to the car to pull it around to the side where the separate garage sat. Her heart filled with mounting trepidation, Kagami followed Shiro inside, Luka’s hand still gripped tightly in her own. Ojisan Eiji and Obasan Miki stood waiting for them just inside the door, and Kagami bowed lower on seeing them. Beside her, this time Luka copied the action.</p><p class="Preference">“Hello, Ojisan, Obasan,” Kagami greeted them formally. “Thank you so much for the opportunity to stay with you on this trip.”</p><p class="Preference">“Of course, Mei,” her uncle replied, inclining his head slightly. He gave her a small smile. “It is our honor to host you and your friend while you are here.” At that he turned to Luka and gave a small bow.</p><p class="Preference">“It is good to meet you, sir,” Luka told them hesitantly.</p><p class="Preference">“Your Japanese is surprisingly good,” her uncle commented, his eyes widening in surprise. He gave Luka an approving nod.</p><p class="Preference">“Kagami has been helping me,” replied Luka, grinning.</p><p class="Preference">Her uncle nodded in understanding. “I would expect no less!” he noted. “I hope that this trip will help even more with that.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami’s aunt gestured for them to follow her. “I can only imagine how you must be feeling after spending so long on a plane,” she told them. “You must be jetlagged.”</p><p class="Preference">“My body still is not sure what time it is,” Luka agreed, his lips curving in amusement.</p><p class="Preference">“If you are tired, I am sure you would like to see your rooms, eat, and rest. Your schedule is quite busy tomorrow. The chef has dinner prepared already.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami followed her aunt down the hallway, past the ancestral katana displayed prominently on the wall. Luka hesitated for a moment to examine the ornate handle, but she tugged his hand until he followed.</p><p class="Preference">“Do you have one of those?” he asked, curiously.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami arched an eyebrow at him and smirked, tapping her miraculous. He wagged his eyebrows at her in amusement. Aloud she explained, “Although Father’s family came from the samurai class, their family sword was lost in the Meiji Revolution. While I’m sure Mother would love for us to have a family katana of our own, it’s not too common.”</p><p class="Preference">“That katana is still as sharp as the day it was made,” Obasan Miki called over her shoulder as they walked. The first door they passed led to a hallway down which they could see the dining room and sitting room. Against the front windows in the sitting room sat an enormous Christmas tree, covered in white lights and decorated with dozens of red origami cranes, interspersed with red and white balls. Kagami couldn’t look too closely, however, as right in front of them were the stairs to the second floor bedrooms. Upstairs, Obasan Miki pointed down the hallway to the left. “The family bedrooms are down this way,” she told them. “Kagami, you will be in Kimiko’s old room between ours and Shiro’s.” Leading them down the hallway to the right, Obasan stopped by the middle of the three doors. Inside was an immaculately-furnished room with a full-size bed and small closet. “You may stay here,” she informed Luka. “The door next to this one is the bathroom.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded and leaned his suitcase against the closet door before giving her a bow. “Thank you for your hospitality.”</p><p class="Preference">Obasan smiled warmly and inclined her head to him. “I am happy for the opportunity to meet one who is clearly very important to my dear Mei!” Kagami rolled her suitcase down the other hallway to the second room on that side, which was slightly larger than Luka’s room and still decorated exactly the way she remembered from her last visit with her cousins – before she and her mother had moved to France.</p><p class="Preference">Longg emerged slowly from her purse, Sass in tow, and looked around the room curiously. “I am glad we have finally arrived,” he observed. “It is unfortunate that we could not simply allow Kaalki to bring us here!”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami hummed. “That would have been nice,” she agreed. “Perhaps next time…”</p><p class="Preference">Sass stretched his arms. “I mussst admit, what I sssee of Japan doesss not appear any different from Parisss – or at leassst not yet!”</p><p class="Preference">“Wait until we visit the city,” Longg assured him.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami smiled fondly. “Are you going to join us for dinner?”</p><p class="Preference">Longg frowned in consideration but shook his head. “I will explore this room for now. Although I will not turn down any food you bring up.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll see what I can do,” she agreed. “But I shouldn’t leave Luka alone with Obasan for <em>too</em> long…” Leaving her suitcase and the Kwamis in the room, she raced back to find Luka and her aunt standing together at the top of the stairs.</p><p class="Preference">“We do not have guests stay with us very often,” her aunt was telling Luka. “Our rules are quite simple: guests have access to the whole house except the family wing – so much easier on the housekeeper that way.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami met Luka’s eye behind her aunt’s back and gave him a doubtful look. He simply looked back at her aunt and nodded. “I understand,” he assured her.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami’s aunt led them back downstairs, where the housekeeper had already set out a simple meal. Her uncle asked about her mother and the company’s prospects, and Kagami tried to answer as well as she could, despite the exhaustion starting to set in – even though it was hardly dinnertime and she had dozed on the plane, Kagami could hardly muster the strength to keep her eyes open. Eventually, after finishing their meal, Kagami picked up a handful of cookies for a “midnight snack,” and she and Luka both excused themselves from the table to get ready for bed.</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll be up in a bit to see if there’s anything you need,” Obasan Miki called after them as they left the dining room.</p><p class="Preference">“Thank you,” Kagami replied, giving her a small smile. “I think I can still remember where everything is!”</p><p class="Preference">At the top of the stairs, Luka gave her a quick peck on the lips and whispered, “Sleep well.”</p><p class="Preference">“You, too,” she whispered back before returning to her room to find Longg alone, curled up on a Hello Kitty pillow. The moment the showed her the cookies, he pounced on them ravenously. Rummaging through her suitcase, Kagami changed into her old Viperion shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in before brushing her teeth in the attached bathroom. Presently her aunt tapped on the door and asked if she needed anything, to which Kagami thanked her and assured her that she was fine. Finally the hall light outside her door went out. She turned off the lights in her own room and crawled into bed.</p><p class="Preference">Longg drifted away from his pillow and spun into a back flip. Examining the pillow more closely, he hummed. “Plagg would be so disappointed they chose white instead of black.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami giggled softly before fixing the Kwami with a calculating look. He met her gaze and smiled smugly. She flushed. “Can I–?”</p><p class="Preference">“Use the power of the miraculous to visit your boyfriend?” Longg finished, raising an eyebrow. She nodded. “That is acceptable.”</p><p class="Preference">“Are you sure it’s okay?”</p><p class="Preference">“As long as you are not going to abuse my power, I have no problems with something like this,” he assured her.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami nodded and whispered her transformation phrase. A moment later, she whispered “Wind Dragon,” and shifted form into air. With a thought, Ryoku slipped out of her bed and filtered under the door, into the hallway. The door next to her own creaked softly open, and Shiro crept out into the hall. She shied away from him, and he cocked his head in confusion, his hair moving in the faint breeze, before descending the stairs and leaving the house, out into the late evening. Ryoku blew down the hall silently to the room where Luka was staying, and slipped under his door. She heard the vague sound of a car engine as her wind form slid into the bed next to Luka. With a thought she returned to her physical form before de-transforming. Longg left them alone and phased into the nightstand to find Sass.</p><p class="Preference">Luka’s eyes shot wide open at her sudden appearance next to him, but before she had fully de-transformed, he had already wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her into a searing kiss. “I really wasn’t expecting that,” he told her when she pulled away. “Or this. But I’m not going to complain!”</p><p class="Preference">“Well, Obasan said <em>you</em> weren’t to come to <em>my</em> room,” Kagami pointed out with a mischievous smirk. “She said nothing about the other way!”</p><p class="Preference">“That is quite true,” he conceded, tracing a finger down her side and trailing kisses along her neck.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My understanding of Japanese etiquette is researched but may not be completely accurate.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sass safely tucked in his shirt pocket, Luka arrived in the dining room for breakfast the next morning, just buttoning the last buttons on his shirt. Kagami, dressed in a sharp suit, pencil skirt, and flats, had beaten him downstairs and had already started on breakfast, talking with her aunt and uncle in rapid Japanese. She glanced up when he walked into the room and smiled brightly, rising from the table to meet him. Grabbing the silk tie he’d draped over his shoulder, she looped it around his neck and carefully tied it for him.</p><p>“One of these days you’ll have to learn how to tie this for yourself!” she teased him in French, tugging the knot tight and leaning in close.</p><p>“What, and miss out on you tying it for me?” he teased back, giving her a quick peck on her surprised lips. Kagami blushed delicately as she returned to her seat, and he took the empty seat across from her.</p><p>Her uncle, Eiji, furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. “Do you not tie your own ties, Luka?” he asked, frowning.</p><p>Luka opened his mouth to answer, but Kagami jerked her head brusquely.</p><p>“Ojisan,” she interjected, arching her eyebrow in challenge, “what business is it of anyone else if I <em>want</em> to tie it for him?”</p><p>“I think it’s sweet,” Miki cooed, pouring a cup of tea for Luka.</p><p>“Thank you.” Surveying the wide array of foods available, Luka helped himself to a spoonful of rice with a greenish paste, topping it with an egg. He picked out a couple pieces of a dried fish for Sass, along with a bowl of miso soup.</p><p>Kagami smirked at him impishly. “I don’t think he would wear a tie otherwise!”</p><p>“I doubt I would <em>need</em> a tie if not for you!” Luka replied, smiling. He took a taste of the rice, starting at the spiciness of the topping. “This is delicious… but what is it?” he asked.</p><p>“Yuzukoshō,” Miki answered.</p><p>Luka gave Kagami a confused look and she explained. “Yuzu is a fruit – you’ll taste it everywhere this time of year. The tea is yuzu, also.” She traced her foot up and down his leg under the table and continued, “There are even snack foods that use yuzu – Kit Kats for one.”</p><p>“That does sound interesting,” he commented, sipping his tea and working steadily through his breakfast. He looked around the table with some surprise at the lack of a fifth place setting. “I take it Shiro is not joining us today?”</p><p>Miki waved a hand dismissively. “Ah, that boy is always waking up late,” she answered. “Up till all hours with his games, then gets up by noon. But he works from home, so he can set his own hours.”</p><p>“Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury of such laziness,” Eiji observed pointedly, glancing at the clock. “With the traffic, we must leave in no less than fifteen minutes,” he warned.</p><p>“Of course, Ojisan.” Kagami nodded obediently. “I have everything I need down here with me. Luka?”</p><p>He pursed his lips in thought, patting his tablet. “I do not need too much for this meeting. I am ready to go, just as soon as I finish eating.”</p><p>Eiji nodded. “That’s good.”</p><p>“I hope you slept well,” Miki commented, sipping her soup. “I find a new bed always takes adjustment.”</p><p>“I slept very well, thank you,” Luka responded. He slipped the dried fish off his plate and into his lap, carefully avoiding looking at Kagami, whose eyes had lit up mischievously.</p><p>“Did you feel the earthquake last night?” asked Miki.</p><p>Luka cocked his head in confusion. “No, I must have slept through it – what happened?”</p><p>Eiji shrugged and rose from the table. “It wasn’t anything much – hardly even registered a 2 on the Richter scale. The news reported it off the coast, underwater. There shouldn’t be any trouble, but it’s probably smart to avoid the water for the next couple days, in case of tsunami.”</p><p>Kagami shrugged. “It’s hardly beach weather,” she pointed out, rising from the table.</p><p>Luka swallowed his last mouthful of food and followed them out to the car waiting by the front door, allowing Kagami to get in before him and sit in the middle, between him and Eiji. She sat with her back ramrod straight, her hands folded in her lap. Although she appeared outwardly to be calm, he could see the lines of tension around her mouth, hear the shift in her heart song. The tempo accelerated and the mode shifted – Lydian, perhaps. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, but she subtly shook her head, and he withdrew it, looking out the window at the long row of houses they drove past on the way to the highway into town.</p><p>“So what has Kimiko been doing, Ojisan?” Kagami finally asked as the car accelerated onto the highway, dodging around the early morning traffic. “I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had a chance to catch up with her.”</p><p>“Oh, she thinks she’s going to be an artist,” Eiji answered dismissively. “She has an apartment in the city with a friend, but still no job. She’s planning to stop in this evening for dinner.”</p><p>“What kind of artist is she?” asked Luka curiously.</p><p>“She’s trying to break into the anime world,” explained Eiji. “She hasn’t gotten any opportunities yet, however.”</p><p>“It’s only a matter of time,” Kagami noted. “She’s very talented; someone’s going to notice her eventually. I still have that poster she drew for me before we moved. It’s hanging in my room back home.”</p><p>“Do you think she could design a poster for Kitty Section?” Luka suggested. “Perhaps one that’s anime-inspired and we can use if this Asia distribution deal works out?”</p><p>Kagami hummed contemplatively. “That’s a really good idea!” she agreed, nodding slowly. “We can ask her tonight.”</p><p>“Kitty Section is your band?” asked Eiji doubtfully. “Have you recorded many albums?”</p><p>Luka nodded. “We have a few on the market now – more with Kagami’s help,” he confirmed, giving her a smile. “Most of our concerts up to now have been in Paris, but we have started to expand a little. My band mates are all still in lycée, which does cut down on how much we can perform and record. But they all graduate this year, and I hope we will be able to schedule a tour in Southeast Asia this summer!”</p><p>“That is… impressive,” Eiji allowed, eyes widening in some surprise. “When my sister said that you had insisted on dating a musician, Mei, I feared the worst!”</p><p>Kagami raised an eyebrow in challenge. “You assumed that ‘musician’ meant ‘good-for-nothing drifter without prospects or motivation’?”</p><p>“So often the two categories overlap, Mei,” he pointed out.</p><p>“Perhaps,” Kagami conceded. She gave Luka a soft look, and he returned her smile. “But not in this case.”</p><p>“I am quite glad to hear that.” Eiji turned to examine them more closely as they entered the city.</p><p>They continued to speak idly until the car pulled up in front of the Kikai Tower. Luka stepped out first and held the door open for Kagami, taking her hand to help her stand. She smiled and smoothed the front of her skirt as they walked inside. He tried not to stare at the simple yet elegant lobby decorations and instead to follow Kagami’s lead, walking straight across to the elevators. Kagami waited for him to enter the elevator first before following with Eiji. She hit two buttons on the elevator, and they ascended quietly. Luka took a slow breath. He could hear that anxious strain growing louder in Kagami’s song, to a degree which he hadn’t really heard since that summer. As the doors opened on the 19th floor, he brushed his hand against hers before stepping out, turning around in time to see her lips turn up into a slight smile as the elevator doors closed. “I’ll meet you in the lobby after!” she called.</p><p>Luka cautiously opened the door marked “ChowaKyoku Bunpu” to find a woman a couple years older than himself sitting at a desk. She looked up on hearing the door open. “Irasshaimase.” [“Welcome”]</p><p>“Hi, I am here for a meeting with Takagi-san,” he told her.</p><p>The woman consulted her computer screen. “Of course, Couffaine-sama. Follow me, please.” She led him down a short hallway and ushered him into a conference room, with a slightly-shorter man standing inside, his head inclined in a bow. Luka awkwardly returned the gesture, and the man straightened up before holding out a business card in both hands.</p><p>“Welcome, Couffaine-sama,” he intoned, gesturing for Luka to sit. “I thank you for honoring me with this visit. And I hope this will be productive for both of us.”</p><p>“Thank you, Takagi-san,” Luka replied, accepting the card and placing it in his pocket before extracting his own business card and passing it to him. “I am grateful to you for meeting with me this morning. I also hope this can lead to a good business relationship.”</p><p>“We shall see,” Takagi-san allowed, an unreadable expression on his face as he set Luka’s card on the table in front of him. “And how is your mother? I do still remember Anarka from her days with Jagged Stone – such an… <em>unusual</em> person she was. Although I suppose that is normal in this business. She certainly fit in well with that company!”</p><p>“She is quite well,” Luka answered, smiling. “She has enjoyed her retirement, as well as watching Kitty Section grow. Although occasionally she does hint at missing the adventure of it all!”</p><p>“She was quite a talented musician, as I recall,” noted Takagi-san, nodding. “But from your demo tape, I think you have inherited her talent.”</p><p>“Thank you for the compliment; it is a tribute to the entire band, not just to myself.”</p><p>“And so now you are looking to expand your brand into Asia?”</p><p>“That is our hope, sir,” Luka agreed, nodding. “We started by performing locally, but thanks to word-of-mouth our profile has begun to rise. We have several recordings already available – the one I sent you is just a sample – and plan to record another album in the spring. They have sold well in Europe; my hope is that they will also find an audience here.”</p><p>“Do you have the sales numbers with you?”</p><p>Luka pulled out his tablet and found the correct spreadsheet before turning it around for Takagi-san to read. He knit his brows, his eyes darting quickly back and forth across the screen as he read. Finally he nodded, his face still impassive. “I see that your sales numbers increased dramatically in August. Was that for your last concert?”</p><p>Luka shook his head. “Actually, the concert accounts for the spike in September. August was the first full month after we hired the Tsurugi Group as our marketing consultant.”</p><p>“And what will be their involvement with this Asian distribution?”</p><p>“They are ready to handle the majority of the advertising through their Japan office. All we need is someone to distribute the recordings and merchandise.”</p><p>Takagi-san nodded slowly, and they continued through the specifics of the deal. Finally, he sighed. “Your proposal has great merit,” he told Luka. “I would like some time to consider it further.”</p><p>“That is acceptable,” Luka agreed, as Takagi-san rose to show him out of the office. “Thank you very much for your time.”</p><p>“Do me the courtesy of giving my regards to your mother,” Takagi-san instructed him as he called the elevator and leaned forward into a low bow, moments before the elevator arrived on their floor.</p><p>“I will.” Luka’s last view of him as the elevator doors closed was of the top of his head. On the way down, the elevator was empty, giving Luka plenty of time to think. Kagami had gone over Japanese customs and etiquette with him before they left, but he had forgotten most of what she had told him. Had he been expected to bow at the end? Had he talked too much? In the silence of the elevator and his own mind, he found himself second-guessing every step of the meeting. In spite of himself, he could feel his anxiety rising. He had been hoping for a favorable answer today, not a “come back later.” But there was nothing more to do now.</p><p>When the elevator opened on the ground floor, he cocked his head in surprise on hearing Beethoven playing from the speakers in the ceiling. The strains of “Ode to Joy” invaded his ears and he closed his eyes, allowing the familiar music to calm his anxious heart. Finally feeling a sense of calm return, he walked a lap around the lobby, stopping in front of the tree to admire the strings of lights draping it, along with a handful of glowing paper lanterns. The decorations on the tree showed a blend of European and Asian influences, everything from traditional glass balls to paper fans and origami cranes. Something on the ground in front of the tree caught his eye, and he knelt to take a closer look at a figurine of a man with short black hair, big ears, and red robes that left his chest uncovered.</p><p>“You found Hoteiosho.” Luka looked up to find Kagami standing next to him, smiling fondly.</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Santa – sort of. Only he’s a Buddhist monk, not an elf.”</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>“Take a walk?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>He straightened up and brushed his fingers against hers. “I’ll follow your lead!”</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter brought to you by… the Tokyo Board of Tourism, apparently. Thank you to Mr. Bluesky on AO3 for helping me make this chapter feel more authentic!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kagami breathed a sigh of relief on stepping out of the tower lobby and onto the street. Today’s wasn’t her first official business meeting, or even the first one since her mother had ended the internship and made her an official employee, but it had been the most important, and the first one out of the home office in Tokyo. Her mother had sent her on this trip and arranged this as the first stop for a very specific purpose – a meeting with Ojisan’s company would be the perfect way to start giving her experience in meeting with their international clients on her own. Un-Pan was one of their oldest clients – bound by blood – and logically both she and her mother knew that there was no realistic way that Kagami could misstep so badly as to ruin that relationship. Today’s meeting had largely been about orchestrating the company’s next marketing campaign and negotiating rates for a couple of their other clients to transport their merchandise using Un-Pan – including the first shipment of Kitty Section’s CDs and merchandise, assuming that Luka’s meeting had been successful.</p><p>Luka interlaced his fingers with hers as they walked down the crowded sidewalk, and she leaned into his side, sighing in relief. “I’m glad you came with me,” she murmured.</p><p>“I am, too,” he agreed, tugging on her hand and pulling her to a stop in front of a department store that still had its Christmas lights display up. “And I thought <em>Paris</em> went all out for Christmas,” he commented, an amused lilt to his voice, admiring the window display of a Christmas tree decorated with snowflake ornaments, hundreds of presents stacked underneath it next to a sign indicating that they would be donated to a children’s charity.</p><p>Kagami grinned and wrapped her arm around his waist as they moved down to the next window, examining an intricate origami Nativity set. As they stood still, he draped his arm over her shoulder and rested his chin on her hair. After a few minutes they continued down the sidewalk, Kagami directing their steps inexorably toward the far off tower. “What you see now is nothing,” she confided. “If we came back after dark, it would be spectacular.” When he gave her a curious look, she nodded toward the trees lining the street.</p><p>Luka followed where she indicated and started. The trees were covered from top to bottom with strings of white lights, hardly leaving any of the bark visible. As they continued their walk, all of the trees were similarly covered. “That’s–that’s a lot of lights,” he finally managed, nodding appreciatively.</p><p>She giggled and raised an eyebrow at him. “Such a way with words.” He flushed. “Maybe we’ll have to sneak out one of these nights to come down and see them,” she suggested. “It wouldn’t be that hard.” She patted her purse for emphasis, wagging her eyebrows at him.</p><p>“Just say the word,” he agreed, squeezing her hand gently. “Taking a run together would be fun.” They walked in companionable silence for a few more blocks before he asked, “How was the meeting?”</p><p>She grinned, almost bouncing on her feet from excitement. “I was so nervous for nothing! Ojisan and I arrived with plenty of time. The sales figures were all solid – I hardly had to say anything to justify the fee increase Tsurugi is instituting for next year. There was a little negotiating on shipping fees, but nothing major. We’re all set for Kitty Section to start shipping in January; we’ll incorporate your merchandise into the next Agreste shipment for convenience.”</p><p>“That’s great, babe!” he cheered, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “I knew you could do it!”</p><p>She smiled, letting out an easy breath. This had been the easy meeting, but she could build from here. “But how did <em>your</em> meeting go?”</p><p>Luka furrowed his brows in thought. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “He said he would get back to me on it.”</p><p>“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow in surprise.</p><p>“I suppose that makes sense, but I was hoping for a little more positive outcome.”</p><p>She cocked her head. “Considering the connection with Anarka, that’s what I expected, too. So walk me through it,” she instructed. “What happened?”</p><p>“I walked in, he handed me his business card; I gave him one of the cards you designed and put his in my pocket–”</p><p>“Damn.” Kagami’s heart sank and she face-palmed. “That’s your problem.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“The business card,” she explained, grimacing. “He may have taken it as an insult that you put away his business card instead of keeping it out.” Luka cocked his head in confusion. “Did you hold it out for him to read it first? Did you read his?”</p><p>“No…” His jaw dropped in realization. “Shoot. I’m sorry babe,” he apologized, shoulders falling.</p><p>She shrugged, pushing down the knot forming in her chest, and wrapped her arm around his waist. “It can still work out,” she assured him. “It’s my fault for overbooking so I couldn’t go with you today. If he has a few minutes tomorrow I can try to make amends. He might be willing to forgive you for it since you’re European – and the connection with Anarka.”</p><p>He nodded, frowning. “What about your meetings tomorrow at the Tsurugi building?”</p><p>“I can make it work,” she insisted, pulling out her phone, a firm set to her mouth. “After today, I’m not too worried for tomorrow. Besides, tomorrow’s meetings will be on <em>my</em> terms in <em>my</em> office. It’s what Mother’s been preparing me to do for eighteen years.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow dubiously.</p><p>“It’ll be fine.” She waved her hand dismissively as Takagi’s secretary answered the phone. “Good morning,” she greeted her. “My name is Tsurugi Kagami; my client Luka Couffaine had a meeting with Takagi-san earlier.”</p><p>“Of course, Tsurugi-san,” the woman responded. “How can I be of assistance?”</p><p>“Would Takagi-san be available for a few minutes as a follow-up tomorrow morning?”</p><p>The secretary hummed, her computer clicking. “He has five minutes before eight, if that will work.”</p><p>“That will work perfectly,” Kagami agreed, giving Luka a thumb’s up. “Thank you so much.” Ending the call she grinned at Luka, who gave her a worried look. “See? All good. But anyways, I don’t really feel like talking business anymore today; I’d much rather show you the sights of Tokyo!” Kagami pointed up at the enormous Tokyo Tower a couple blocks away from them before glancing over at her boyfriend to take in his reaction.</p><p>Luka’s jaw dropped. “Is that supposed to be–”</p><p>“A model of the Eiffel Tower?” she finished, smiling eagerly. “Yes, it is!”</p><p>He chuckled. “Halfway around the world, and it’s like we’re right back home.” He pulled her into a hug and grinned. “Of course, just being here with you, it’s like home never really left,” he whispered, his breath ghosting against her skin, placing a finger under her chin and tipping it up to plant a kiss on her lips.</p><p>Kagami’s grip on his waist tightened as she sighed into the kiss. Even after just six months, it was amazing just how true that statement had become. A year ago, when she bumped into him at that party – the same night that she had stopped that bank robbery with him – she couldn’t have imagined her life going in this direction. At that time she had been fully accepting of her mother’s plans. But now? Now she couldn’t imagine her life any differently. Finally breaking the kiss she rested her cheek against his chest. “It’s after lunchtime, and I’m hungry,” she informed him.</p><p>“Where is there food nearby?” he asked.</p><p>“There are a few restaurants in the tower,” she replied, frowning doubtfully. “But they cater a lot more to tourists – not much authentic food there. Our better option would be one of the restaurants in Shiba Park: we can eat and look out at the tower and the park, then we can decide where to go from there.”</p><p>“Sounds good to me,” Luka agreed, as they crossed the street and entered the park.</p><p>Merging in with the tourists, Kagami led the way across to Toufuya Ukai, where they were able to get a table near the window. Most of the plants around the building and park were barren in the winter time, but that gave them an unobstructed view of the park – and the tall orange-and-white tower in the center. While Luka stared out the window at the people walking through the park, Kagami placed their order for two servings of tofu ryouri and the seasonal yuzu tea for herself and Luka, and kobe beef for the Kwamis. When their food arrived, she set her purse on the table, and the two Kwamis slipped out, careful to avoid being seen by hiding between the purse and the extra plate.</p><p>“This city has truly changed since I was last here,” Longg observed, picking out a couple snap peas to start.</p><p>Sass nodded, tearing off a chunk of beef. “I have never been here, ssso I have no comparissson!”</p><p>“You and me both,” Luka joked, taking a bite of his own lunch.</p><p>“It is a fine island… provided that the people are not at war!” Longg replied, amused. “Sadly, every time I have been here <em>before</em> now, it was <em>because</em> of a war…”</p><p>Kagami giggled softly. “I’m glad I could give you an example of Japan <em>without</em> a war going on!”</p><p>As she scooped up her own seasoned tofu, Kagami let out a breath, allowing the familiar tastes and smells to wash over her. The last time she had visited this park had been before they moved to Paris; she hadn’t really thought at the time about returning – certainly not with a boyfriend in tow. But here she was, experiencing her old home through his new eyes. “You know,” she began, watching him stare at the top of the tower, “if we do come back at night, the tower will be lit up, too.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>She nodded. “At Christmastime it’s lit up to look like a Christmas tree!”</p><p>“That sounds cool!” He arched an eyebrow at her. “Maybe we can just sit up on the top of the tower and look out at the city.”</p><p>She smiled warmly. “I’d like that.”</p><p>Once he finished eating, Luka put his hand on the table next to hers, waiting quietly for her to finish, listening to the soft Christmas music playing over the restaurant’s system. The two Kwamis polished off their own meal before Kagami did. She took Luka’s hand, squeezing it gently. He smiled warmly as he paid the bill. “Are you having fun, babe?”</p><p>“Definitely,” she assured him, grinning. “As long as <em>you</em> are! Do you want to go up to the tower’s observation deck?”</p><p>He hummed. “That’s an option,” he agreed. “But what else is there?”</p><p>“Let’s see…” she began, tapping her chin. “If we go to FootTown – the building underneat the tower – there’s a gallery we can walk through, or we can walk around and check out the stores.” She nodded at the window. “And the Christmas market in the park is still open, though it doesn’t look like there are as many stalls as there would have been last week.”</p><p>He thought for a minute and got up, pulling her to her feet. “If we’re going to come back one of these nights, we can see the tower then. For now, I think it would be interesting to see what the local people make, so why not walk through the market?”</p><p>Kagami nodded in acquiescence, holding his hand tightly as they left the restaurant and wended their way around the Christmas market. Stalls lined the sidewalks, though not all of them were occupied. A couple dozen other patrons wandered up and down the aisles; Luka and Kagami merged into the flow of traffic, admiring the wide array of handcrafted nativity sets, reindeer, and ornaments. Luka stopped in one stall to look at a glass ball with Hoteiosho painted on it. He picked it up and held it out to her. “What do you think?”</p><p>“Thinking about the ‘tree’ on the <em>Liberty</em>?” she asked, smiling affectionately at the memory from their Christmas just a few days – and one continent – ago. She shrugged. “I mean, he’s more of a tourist thing, but why not? We can put it up next to the one with Père Noël!”</p><p>“That’s what I was thinking,” he agreed, pulling out his wallet to pay for the ornament. “But if this guy isn’t an authentic Japanese Santa, then what is?”</p><p>Kagami tapped her chin, looking closer at the array of ornaments, before picking up one with a chubby man in a red suit with a white beard. “Honestly, <em>Santa</em> is more of an ‘authentic’ Japanese Santa!” she replied, stifling a giggle. “But what if we get both?”</p><p>Luka nodded in agreement and placed both ornaments on the counter, where the younger man behind the table rang them up and started to wrap them in paper. Before paying, however, Luka paused to look at a row of hand-folded ornaments next to the register, several of which showed two fish forming a circle. He turned to Kagami and raised an eyebrow dubiously.</p><p>“What does ‘koi’ mean in Japanese?” she asked him, smirking in amusement.</p><p>“‘Love’…”</p><p>“And what kind of fish are those?”</p><p>“Koi–ohhh.” He shook his head ruefully and took a closer look at the selection before picking out one comprised of a light green fish and a bright red fish. “You know why I picked this one, right?” he whispered softly, leaning in close.</p><p>“Of course,” she confirmed. She felt her cheeks start to redden. “That <em>was</em> the reason we actually started dating, after all.”</p><p>He nodded, smiling warmly. “And I couldn’t be happier.” He placed the fish with the other two ornaments and handed the man his card. “Do you realize it’s almost exactly a year ago that we first worked together?”</p><p>“How could I forget?” she whispered softly, looking up into his eyes. “Although we <em>had</em> patrolled together a few times before that.”</p><p>“We had,” he agreed, “but that was the first time we were really in sync. That’s when we became a team.”</p><p>“The <em>perfect</em> team,” she confirmed with a kiss.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Based on my research, koi fish are actually used as a symbol for love in Japan because “carp” and “love” are homophones. The actual characters are different, however, which is yet another reason not to get an “Eastern” tattoo without being 100% certain that it’s actually the character you want!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">After spending a couple hours walking around the park together and looking at the other booths, Luka bought them green tea to warm their hands, along with a bag of wagashi to share as they wandered toward the tower. Kagami slipped a couple reindeer-shaped pieces into her purse for the Kwamis, humming in contentment as they walked through the doors into FootTown, the large building under the “foot” of the tower.</p><p class="Preference">“If we come back at night, this will be all closed up,” she pointed out as they entered.</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll follow you,” he assured her, sliding his hand down to her waist and letting her precede him up the stairs.</p><p class="Preference">Casually they strolled through the art gallery, looking at a display of black-and-white photographs showing daily life in the rural parts of the country. Kagami led him across the way to the gift shop, where he found a display of Hello Kitty dolls wearing Ryoku’s mask. “You made it all the way to Japan?” he wondered, cocking his head in surprise.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami shrugged. “Adrien mentioned something about a licensing agreement with Sanrio. They only wanted to use a couple of heroes – Ladybug and Cat Noir, of course, but also Ryoku since she’s obviously Japanese.” She raised an eyebrow at him mirthfully. “Are you jealous?”</p><p class="Preference">“Not at all,” he replied, picking one up, hugging it, and smirking. “This way I can always have you with me!”</p><p class="Preference">She wagged her eyebrows and leaned in closer. “As if you ever <em>don’t</em> have me,” she whispered, kissing the corner of his lips. She sighed heavily, twisting her wrist to look at her watch. “We do need to be getting back now; Ojisan’s driver will be picking him up in half an hour, and it’s a bit of a walk.”</p><p class="Preference">“After you, babe.”</p><p class="Preference">Almost two hours later, they had returned to her aunt and uncle’s house and gone upstairs to get ready for their “late Christmas family dinner.” After hanging his suit back up and changing into a nice polo that Kagami had picked out for him to bring, Luka waited at the top of the stairs for Kagami to finish changing. It only took a few minutes longer for her to reappear from her room, wearing a matching blouse and knee-length skirt. In her hands she held her purse along with a bag holding the gifts they had brought with them for her family. Giving the hallway behind her a surreptitious look, she took Luka’s hand in her own, and he gave it a squeeze.</p><p class="Preference">“Hi,” she whispered, pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss him.</p><p class="Preference">“Hi yourself,” he whispered back, smiling. He could hear the flutter of anticipation in her heart song as they descended the steps together. “I’m glad we get to have <em>another</em> Christmas together!” he observed. “And that I get to experience a traditional Japanese Christmas with you!”</p><p class="Preference">“The first of many?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p class="Preference">He nodded as they walked past the family katana to the front room, where the rest of the family was waiting. “I hope so.”</p><p class="Preference">The overhead lights in the front room had been turned off, leaving the bright white glow of the Christmas tree as the only illumination in the room. Strings of paper chains decorated the dining room. Lit candles sat on the dining table. Eiji, Miki, and Shiro were already waiting for them around the Christmas tree, along with a woman a year or two older than Shiro whom Luka didn’t recognize but who had to be Kagami’s other cousin.</p><p class="Preference">“Kimiko!” Kagami gave her cousin a quick hug after setting her bag of presents beside the tree with her purse. Luka caught a glimpse of red and green phasing through the side of the purse and slipping into the Christmas tree to get lost among the branches. “It’s so good to see you!”</p><p class="Preference">Kimiko returned the hug and grinned. “It’s been such a long time! How are you?”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m doing well.” Kagami released her and stepped back. “But how are <em>you</em>? Oji says you’re trying to get into anime?”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m trying to,” she confirmed, frowning. “I’ve drawn test clips for a couple of shows, but haven’t gotten any callbacks.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami furrowed her brows in thought. “You know, I have a couple friends in Paris who publish a couple comic book series,” she began. “I don’t know if they’ve thought about branching out into manga, or turning one <em>into</em> a manga, but would you be interested in collaborating with them on something like that?”</p><p class="Preference">Kimiko shrugged. “At this point I’d take <em>anything</em>! Give me their contact info.”</p><p class="Preference">“Let me call first and see what they say,” Kagami suggested. “But in the meantime, Luka had the idea for you to draw a new Japanese poster for his band Kitty Section since they’re trying to expand here!”</p><p class="Preference">“Luka?”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami grabbed Luka’s hand and dragged him over. “My boyfriend,” she explained, giving him a fond look.</p><p class="Preference">Luka smiled and inclined his head in a bow. “It is good to meet you,” he greeted her. He cocked his head and concentrated on the strains of music he could hear from her – sad but optimistic.</p><p class="Preference">“Nice to meet you, too,” she replied, returning the gesture. “So this is the boyfriend I’ve been hearing rumors about!”</p><p class="Preference">“All good, I hope?”</p><p class="Preference">“Perhaps…” Kimiko’s lips turned up in a slight smirk.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami rolled her eyes. “You can’t believe <em>everything</em> you hear – only the good parts!”</p><p class="Preference">Miki announced, “We should not keep the chef waiting,” and gestured for everyone to sit down. Kagami gave Luka a subtle nod, and the two of them sat first, followed by the rest of the family. Once they were all seated, the chef brought out a tray of chicken and set it in the center of the table next to bowls of mashed potatoes, noodles, and mixed vegetables.</p><p class="Preference">Luka leaned over to Kagami and whispered, “When you said KFC was a traditional Japanese Christmas meal, I thought you were joking.”</p><p class="Preference">She giggled and helped herself to a couple thighs along with a helping of noodles. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without it!”</p><p class="Preference">As the conversation picked up around them, Shiro leaned over to Luka and asked, “What do you think of Japan so far?”</p><p class="Preference">“I have not seen much of it,” he admitted, slipping a few bites of chicken off the table for Sass. “But what I have seen already has been incredible.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro hummed in acknowledgment. Luka frowned on hearing the warring melodies coming from his heart, though they were not quite clear enough for him to tell what his heart was saying. “There is much to love about this country,” Shiro finally agreed.</p><p class="Preference">“I have also appreciated the opportunity to meet Kagami’s uncle, aunt, and cousins,” Luka continued. “I hope we will get to know each other better, especially with how much my mom and sister adore Kagami!”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro gave him an evaluating look. “I would like that.”</p><p class="Preference">Once they had finished dinner, the chef brought out a flat cake with strawberries on top, on a couple of which he had placed drops of whipped cream to give them white beards and hats, all surrounding a Santa Claus figure set in the center of the cake. After giving them a few moments to appreciate the decorations, he sliced the sponge cake and passed pieces around to everyone. Luka watched carefully as Kagami picked the strawberry off of her slice and popped it whole into her mouth before catching his eye and smirking. He grinned sheepishly before biting into the soft cake, which almost melted in his mouth.</p><p class="Preference">Once they had finished dessert, they all retired to the front room, where Miki pulled a couple of boxes out from under the tree and handed them to Luka and Kagami. “Just a little something for Christmas to remember your time here,” she explained with a small smile.</p><p class="Preference">In turn, Kagami withdrew several boxes from her own bag and passed them around to her aunt, uncle, and cousins. “Thank you so much for the late Christmas celebration with us,” she told them. “We so much appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to for us.” Then she passed a smaller box to Luka.</p><p class="Preference">Luka for his part reached into his pocket for a jewelry box and handed it to Kagami. “For you.”</p><p class="Preference">“Luka,” she whispered, opening the box to find a simple locket. “You didn’t have to; your present back home was enough.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka smiled and opened his own present, a teal guitar pick reshaped into a heart with the Dragon Miraculous symbol painted on it with unpracticed strokes. He chuckled. “I always tell you, you’re my muse!” he teased, smiling warmly at her.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami leaned back for him to clasp the locket around her neck and whispered, “That’s only part one; part two will come later.”</p><p class="Preference">He hummed and raised an eyebrow at her before opening his gift from Eiji and Miki, a silk tie with several Japanese characters on it. “Thank you very much,” he told them.</p><p class="Preference">“We are very happy to have you staying with us on this trip,” Miki assured him, looking more closely at the watch that they had given her. “And for the opportunity to get to know someone who is clearly important to Kagami!”</p><p class="Preference">Once all the gifts had been opened and Kimiko had left to return to Tokyo, Kagami and Luka followed the rest of the family up the stairs to the bedrooms, their hands just barely brushing as they parted on the stairs. Kagami gave Luka a tiny smirk before turning toward the family wing, while Luka traced the way to his own room. After brushing his teeth, he turned off the light and got into bed to wait, Sass curled up on the nightstand next to his new Hello Kitty.</p><p class="Preference">“Do you think I made a mistake today?” Luka asked the Kwami quietly.</p><p class="Preference">“With your meeting?” asked Sass. Luka nodded. “That isss possssible,” he conceded. “Negotiationsss have failed over worssse. But I do not think that will be the cassse thisss time.”</p><p class="Preference">“Because of Kagami?”</p><p class="Preference">“Not jussst her,” Sass answered. “Yourssself asss well. He wasss impressssed with you, even with your missstakesss.”</p><p class="Preference">“I hope so.” Luka frowned. “This is one of those times I wish I could just use Second Chance for <em>everything</em>. Then I could get it perfect.”</p><p class="Preference">Sass hummed before sliding across to pat Luka on the cheek. “Perhapsss you would find the perfect sssolution,” he allowed. “But perhapsss not. My power hasss that ability, but sssometimesss there <em>isss</em> no perfect anssswer. Sssometimesss you mussst sssimply choose, and live with the consssequencccesss.”</p><p class="Preference">A soft breath of air stirred a sheet of paper he had dropped on the floor before caressing his cheek. He slid to one side of the bed and commented, “Right on time,” as the air reformed into Ryoku, who immediately de-transformed, lying on her side next to him. Luka’s eyes trailed along her figure appreciatively, taking in the way that the silk robe accentuated her curves.</p><p class="Preference">“You like?” she asked, her voice dropping to a soft timbre. “I thought about something a little <em>more</em>, but I decided to leave a little to the imagination.” She grimaced. “That and I finally felt just how sore my legs and feet are…”</p><p class="Preference">“Too much walking?” he asked. She nodded, wincing. “Your feet hurt?” Another nod. “Roll onto your stomach,” he instructed her, sitting up. Starting from the heel, he rubbed her feet, gently at first, but slowly increasing the pressure to work the soreness out of her muscles.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami closed her eyes, moaning into the pillow in relief. “I thought <em>I</em> was supposed to be giving <em>you</em> a present,” she whispered. “But this feels a lot like the other way around.”</p><p class="Preference">“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, squeezing her toe softly.</p><p class="Preference">She shook her head. “Actually, if you just could do this <em>every</em> time I have to work…”</p><p class="Preference">He hummed contemplatively. “Perhaps that can be arranged,” he agreed, continuing his ministrations and moving up to her calves. Finally Kagami opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. “Your feet feel better?” he asked, tickling the sole of her foot.</p><p class="Preference">She squirmed, clamping her mouth shut to avoid making any noise, and glared at him playfully. “Maybe I’ll just go back to my room <em>now</em>.”</p><p class="Preference">He chuckled. “I knew you were only using me for my foot rubs!” he joked, lying down next to her and pulling the blanket over them both, resting his hand on her hip.</p><p class="Preference">She leaned in and kissed him. “Well, you do give good foot rubs!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Kagami was so nervous for their follow-up meeting with Takagi that she could barely eat breakfast. After pushing her rice and fried egg around the plate for a few minutes, she finally settled for drinking the broth from her soup and sipping at her tea in a vain attempt to settle the butterflies in her stomach. She could feel Longg shifting in her purse as he nibbled on some of the rice that she had slipped off her plate for him. Across from her, Luka calmly ate his own meal; she could feel him looking up at her surreptitiously every few minutes, examining her face.</p><p>Just before 7:45, the driver dropped Kagami and Luka off at the ChowaKyoku Bunpu offices for their second meeting, along with Ojisan. As they entered the building, Ojisan turned to Kagami and nodded hesitantly. “I am sure you will do well today, Mei,” he began. “I know you will honor your company and your family.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ojisan.” She paused. “I hope you are right.”</p><p>Standing motionless in the elevator, Luka next to her breathing slowly, Kagami’s mouth took on a hard set as she steeled herself for the meeting. She was already scheduled to meet with a revolving door of Japanese clients at the Tsurugi Group offices starting at 9; hopefully this meeting would be short, allowing her to get back to her own office and prepare for that. Her mouth set in a firm line in frustration. Why didn’t she arrange it so she could accompany Luka yesterday? She should have been there – and not just because she loved Luka and wanted to see Kitty Section succeed. If this deal fell through because of Luka’s small breach of etiquette, it would also reflect poorly on the Tsurugi Group, as well as on herself. Her stomach clenched. Next to her, Luka hadn’t said a word since they left her Ojisan’s house. She felt his eyes on her as they stepped off the elevator together. His hand brushed against hers, but she refused to take it – she couldn’t appear as weak or anything less than professional – not now. If she was going to salvage this deal, she could not allow anything to prevent this meeting from going perfectly.</p><p>Softly Luka began humming a tune under his breath.</p><p>Standing in the hallway outside the ChowaKyoku Bunpu offices, Kagami clenched her teeth, inhaled, and slowly breathed out through her mouth, trying to let his song invade her tense nerves and relax her. She clutched a poster tube in one hand, careful not to crush it in her nervousness. Schooling her features into calm professionalism, she led the way into the office.</p><p>“Welcome,” the receptionist greeted them, looking up.</p><p>“Good morning,” Kagami replied. “I am Tsurugi Kagami. We have a meeting with Takagi-san – I had called to arrange it yesterday?”</p><p>“Of course, Tsurugi-sama,” she answered, rising from the desk and leading them down the hallway to the conference room.</p><p>Kagami entered, followed by Luka, to find Takagi-san waiting for them. Kagami bowed in greeting, matching Takagi-san precisely. Next to her, Luka copied the motion. “I thank you for agreeing to this meeting,” she told him, keeping her face as impassive as she could. Carefully she presented her business card to him. “I apologize that I could not accompany my client yesterday; I had another meeting at the same time.”</p><p>“That is understandable, Tsurugi-sama,” Takagi-san told her, giving her his business card at the same time before taking a quick look at her card. “‘Tsurugi’? Not related to Tsurugi Tomoe?”</p><p>“She is my mother,” Kagami confirmed, placing his card in her business card holder on the table in front of her. “She has been working to integrate me closer into the company – I am in the city this week to meet with some of our corporate clients in the Asia market.”</p><p>“Then I hope I will have further opportunities to discuss the clients that we share,” Takagi-san replied, nodding. “Sanzen’on and Ito Keiko are both your clients, are they not?”</p><p>“They are indeed,” Kagami replied, nodding. “Ito-san’s next album will be out in two months, and she was very pleased with your distribution for the last one.”</p><p>Takagi-san hummed contemplatively. “If you arrange with my assistant, I am certain I will have time to discuss that matter later in the week.”</p><p>“I will be sure to do so,” agreed Kagami. “For now, I hope we will be able to add Kitty Section to our list of shared clients today.”</p><p>“We shall see. I have listened to their demo and given it some thought.”</p><p>“Kitty Section’s music speaks for itself,” Kagami noted, popping the end off her poster tube. “But I think this can show some of their potential for the Japan market.” She extracted the poster from the tube and laid it on the table between them: the members of Kitty Section reimagined as a quintet of chibi cats, all holding their correct musical instruments, set against a background of one-half Tokyo and the other half Paris, with the Eiffel Tower and Tokyo Tower as the unifying point. “This is only a rough first example, but Luka had the idea to commission a poster from a local artist as a way to bring Kitty Section into Japan. My cousin, Nihonto Kimiko, came up with this in a single night as a ‘proof of concept,’ if you will. She is already working to fine-tune the design, but we wish for you to have this original.”</p><p>Takagi-san took the poster impassively, examining it carefully. Kagami watched his eyes closely, holding her breath. Finally he nodded slowly. “As I said, I listened to your demo again yesterday, and I do think we could find a way to distribute Kitty Section’s music and other merchandise in Japan,” he explained. “Do I understand that the Tsurugi Group intends to handle the promotion?”</p><p>“Of course,” Kagami replied with a nod, letting out a relieved breath, though she managed to retain the same calm expression. “And if we have an agreement, I have already worked out terms for my uncle’s company to bring the first shipment in January. In the meantime, this afternoon I will arrange for our Japanese office to begin producing some of the promotional materials for you to distribute, including a limited run of these posters once my cousin finishes revising it.”</p><p>“Send them over when they are ready, and we will begin sending them out through our distribution network,” Takagi-san told her. “Thank you both for coming in.”</p>
<hr/><p>As they left the building, Kagami was almost floating on air in relief. In spite of everything, the meeting had been a success. She found Luka’s hand with her own and gave it a quick squeeze. He lifted her hand to his lips and smiled. “I’m glad the meeting went better,” he commented. “It… <em>did</em> go better, right?”</p><p>“Well, we have a deal, so I’d say it did,” she assured him, smirking. Her stomach growled, and she frowned. Suddenly her lack of breakfast was catching up to her. She glanced down at her watch and nodded. “Up for a quick snack on the way?”</p><p>He chuckled. “With you, I’d be up for anything!”</p><p>At the end of the block was a small convenience store, empty apart from a couple of customers browsing the shelves, and Kagami pulled him inside. The cashier glanced up as they entered. “What can I do for you?” she asked, smiling.</p><p>Kagami hummed. “I don’t have much time… what’s quick?”</p><p>“The oden is fresh,” the cashier suggested, gesturing toward the machine on the counter.</p><p>Kagami raised an eyebrow at Luka, who shrugged. “Two cups, please.” Luka started to pull out his wallet, but Kagami squeezed his hand and shook her head, slapping her own card on the counter. Taking her two cups of soup and handing one to Luka she thanked the cashier and let Luka lead the way back onto the busy sidewalk.</p><p>While they walked, Kagami fished a couple pieces of fishcake out of her cup for the Kwamis and slurped down the warm broth. As they approached the looming tower which housed the Tsurugi Group’s Asian headquarters, despite herself Kagami stared up at the imposing edifice. Her company leased two floors near the middle of the tower, with offices and a conference room on one floor and other employees on the floor below. Her mother still maintained an office at the headquarters despite only returning to Japan a couple times a year since they had moved to Paris, which Kagami would be using for her meetings.</p><p>And in a few years, this entire company would be her responsibility.</p><p>While Kagami met with a revolving door of clients in the conference room down the hall, Luka sat on the couch in one corner of her office, continuing to work away on his tablet. Between meetings she returned to the office to find Luka sitting with the same expression of deep concentration, headphones firmly clamped over his ears, tablet held in one hand. Looking closely she could see both Sass and Longg sitting on the couch next to him and watching, an open can with a steadily-diminishing supply of sardines between them.  Around noon, she returned to the office to find two to-go boxes of tonkatsu and a couple rolls of sushi waiting on the coffee table. Luka didn’t look up from his composition when she handed him one of the boxes as the two Kwamis attacked the sushi. Dropping onto the couch next to him, she separated her chopsticks and ate while watching Luka revise his latest song. Kagami smiled in contentment as she savored the meat and rice – a moment of calm in the middle of a hectic day.</p><p>Unfortunately, it couldn’t last. Fifteen minutes later she returned to the conference room for her next meeting.</p><p>It was only after the final meeting that Kagami finally shut the office door, dropped into the seat next to Luka, slipped her feet out of her shoes, and pulled them up on the couch next to her, leaning into Luka’s side. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing heavily in exhaustion, looking out the floor-length glass windows at the Tokyo Tower in the distance, and the harbor beyond.</p><p>Luka glanced up at her and followed her gaze out the window. “I take it you are <em>not</em> interested in climbing to the top of that tonight?” he observed wryly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>“Not tonight,” she agreed, frowning. “Sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t be.” He smiled, though with strain in the corners of his mouth, sliding his headphones off his ears. “How did the meetings go?” he asked, his lips curving down in worry.</p><p>She shrugged. “As far as I can tell, we didn’t <em>lose</em> any clients today, so there’s that.”</p><p>He grimaced, averting his eyes from her. “I am sorry about yesterday,” he apologized. “I tried, I really did.”</p><p>She looked at him, eyes wide in surprise. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I could tell you weren’t happy about having to fix my mistake this morning.”</p><p>She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “It all worked out in the end.” He hummed pensively and set his tablet aside before pulling her feet onto his lap, rubbing her soles gently with his thumbs. Kagami lay back along the length of the couch, closing her eyes as he worked his way along her feet and up to her calves. When he finally finished she opened her eyes to find him gazing softly at her face. “If I could just keep you in my office as a personal masseur, that would be amazing,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>He hummed in amusement. “Should I get you one of those foot massagers, then?” he asked.</p><p>“Only if you come attached to it! Thank you,” she told him.</p><p>He smiled as she sat up, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. “I should be thanking you,” he whispered.</p><p>She snuggled into his chest and sighed in contentment. “I’m glad you’re here with me,” she murmured.</p>
<hr/><p>After dinner that evening, Kagami brushed her hair and smiled in anticipation as she slipped into her bed. Three nights they had been in Japan now, and she had yet to actually <em>use</em> her bed, rather than sneak over to Luka’s for the night and then blow back across the house to her own bed in the morning. Once the lights in the rest of the house were out, she quietly whispered her transformation phrase and shifted to her wind form before slipping under the bedroom door and out into the hallway. However, as she was floating past, she heard Shiro’s door creak open and him sneak out. Wind-Ryoku watched curiously as he tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to make any undue noise.</p><p>Her curiosity getting the better of her, Wind-Ryoku drifted down the stairs after him. Shiro paused in the entrance hallway in front of the family katana. The saya scraped dully against the wall as he carefully removed it from the mounting hooks. Then, looking in both directions, Shiro slowly opened the front door and slipped out into the darkness.</p><p>With a thought, Wind-Ryoku seeped through the space between the door and the weather stripping to follow, and watched Shiro get in the back of a waiting car. What was he doing? And why bring the katana? She paused in contemplation until the car had shifted into drive before slipping back inside the house and drifting back up the stairs to Luka’s room.</p><p>Ryoku materialized just inside the door to find Luka waiting for her on the bed. “I was starting to wonder if you weren’t coming tonight,” he observed. He cocked his head, brows furrowing in confusion. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“I just watched Shiro leave,” she told him, frowning. “Something about it felt… off.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>She folded her arms. “I’m… not really sure,” she admitted. “It was just a… feeling. He took the family sword. Something about it made my skin crawl.”</p><p>Luka sat up, eyes narrowing seriously. “What do you want to do about it?”</p><p>Her stomach clenched in a tight knot, she sighed. “I want to know what’s going on.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Quickly pulling on his jeans and slipping his feet into his shoes, Luka didn’t question what they were doing. If Kagami was concerned about what her cousin was doing, he would follow her lead – he would follow her anywhere. Ryoku paced the room anxiously while he got ready, looking out the window frequently, tapping her fingers on her arm, her song in turmoil. Finally, Luka threw a jacket on over his sweatshirt, and they quietly made their way down the hallway to the stairs, tiptoeing cautiously to avoid making any noise that might disturb the rest of the house. From the stairwell it was only a quick walk down the main hall to the front door. Luka started on passing the spot where the family katana was supposed to be displayed. If he’d had any doubts about their situation, the missing katana put them to rest. Without sparing the display rack a second glance, Ryoku sprinted past him to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of dried nori before leading Luka out to the garage.</p><p class="Preference">Shivering in the chill outside air, Luka noticed a small motorcycle in one corner of the garage. “Think this can catch them?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p class="Preference">“The keys aren’t in the ignition,” Ryoku objected, frowning.</p><p class="Preference">“That isss not a problem,” Sass assured her, popping out of Luka’s jacket pocket and phasing through the motorcycle’s body.</p><p class="Preference">The engine promptly roared to life, and Luka climbed on, nodding his head for her to get on behind him. Ryoku wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as they sped out into the night, the wind whipping through their hair and blowing it back behind them. Their bike’s weak headlight the only illumination on the deserted streets, they raced toward the city lights twinkling in the distance. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Luka called over the engine noise, not taking his eyes off the road in front of them as they merged onto the highway.</p><p class="Preference">By way of response, Ryoku shouted, “Lightning Dragon!” and vanished in a clap of thunder. Lightning streaked through the sky above, darting from cloudbank to cloudbank in the direction of the city. Suddenly it flitted away, further up the highway, beyond Luka’s line of sight, and nearly struck the ground before it returned to the clouds.</p><p class="Preference">Luka’s grip on the handlebars tightened as he nearly laid the bike out following the sudden change in balance. “She could’ve at least warned me,” he grumbled, popping his ears to try to regain his hearing.</p><p class="Preference">“She isss worried for her cousssin,” Sass reminded him, crawling partway out of his jacket and patting his cheek consolingly.</p><p class="Preference">He nodded curtly. “I know.”</p><p class="Preference">Sass hummed contemplatively. “And <em>you</em> are worried for <em>her</em>.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.</p><p class="Preference">“You mussst trussst your Dragon.”</p><p class="Preference">“I <em>do</em>,” he insisted, clenching his jaw. “It’s just…”</p><p class="Preference">“I underssstand.”</p><p class="Preference">Thunder cracked as the lightning coalesced into Ryoku directly above him. Prepared this time, Luka held the bike steady while she dropped the meter to land on the bike’s seat behind him, wrapping her arms around him tightly to avoid falling off the back. “They’re a couple kilometers ahead, almost to the outskirts of Tokyo,” she shouted into his ear. “Dark-colored sedan. It looks like they’re on their way to the docks.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded and revved the engine, pushing the machine to the limit as the front tire pulled off the ground into a wheelie. The outskirts of the city flew past them at breakneck speed. “You should probably de-transform and let Longg recharge,” he suggested.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku squeezed his chest involuntarily. “I… it’s freezing out here!” she yelped. “I’m not exactly dressed for outside.”</p><p class="Preference">“O–oh.” Luka felt his cheeks heat up. “We can’t have that, then. Take over.” Ryoku’s arms snaked past him to grab the handlebars, and he leaned forward, bent almost completely over the motorcycle’s body. Carefully he squirmed his arms out of his jacket before taking back the handlebars, leaving his jacket pinned between them. Ryoku’s arms around his waist disappeared momentarily, as did the jacket, before a bright red light blinded his peripheral vision and she grabbed onto him even tighter, clasping her ungloved hands inside his sweatshirt’s pouch. Both Kwamis dove into the pouch, Sass bringing the bag of nori with him. Presently Luka saw a dark town car ahead of them – the first other vehicle they had seen – change lanes to exit the highway. He pumped the brakes, slowing down significantly to maintain distance from it.</p><p class="Preference">“That’s them,” Kagami called, her mouth right next to his ear.</p><p class="Preference">Staying at least thirty meters behind the car as they left the highway and dropped into the city proper, Luka tailed the car along deserted streets, their remaining Christmas lights still casting their white glow on everything. The further they went away from the highway, however, the fewer trees they saw covered in lights and the more dilapidated buildings they passed. The unmistakable smells of fish and saltwater permeated this area. Finally, the car slowed and pulled to a stop in front of a warehouse. Luka veered down the closest alleyway and killed the motorcycle’s engine behind a dumpster. He climbed off the motorcycle but turned to find Kagami staring at the broken glass littering the pavement, Sass and Longg sitting on her shoulders. She pulled her bare feet up onto the motorcycle’s steering column, balancing carefully to avoid falling off. He slapped his forehead. “Sorry, babe,” he apologized, grimacing.</p><p class="Preference">She hummed in frustration. “I should’ve thought about shoes, myself,” she admitted hugging herself to hold Luka’s jacket close, shivering in the cool air.</p><p class="Preference">He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, guiding her to rest her head on his chest. “We should probably transform here, anyways,” he told her, giving Sass a worried look. Sass bobbed his head reassuringly. “Sass, Scales slither.”</p><p class="Preference">The light of his transformation hadn’t died away yet when Kagami transformed also. Giving him a nod, her mouth set in a firm line, Ryoku sprang off the motorcycle and all the way up to the roof of the warehouse next to them, between them and the warehouse where Shiro’s car had stopped. Viperion quickly followed, swinging up to land silently next to Ryoku, who was already running across the warehouse roof. With barely a pause she dove headfirst off the roof, straight at the wall of the next warehouse. Hot on her heels, Viperion didn’t have time to think before jumping after her. She flew through an open second-story window, landed on a catwalk running around the perimeter of the warehouse, and rolled silently to her feet. Viperion landed on his feet next to her, dropping into a crouch to cushion his landing and bracing himself against the railing right in front of him. The catwalk was deserted, above the floodlights which illuminated the open space below. Viperion slid to the side and found a spot where he could look through the bars. A dozen people milled around the single large empty room. One in a brilliant white suit, clearly the leader, sat on the far side of the building in the only chair, flanked by four men. In front of the man in the suit, his hands clasped behind his back, head held high, stood Shiro.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku dropped to her stomach next to Viperion, eyes narrowed warily, as they took in the scene below. “What did you do, Itoko?” she muttered.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro’s voice drifted up from above. “I don’t care about that; I tell you, I want <em>out</em>!”</p><p class="Preference">The man in the suit scoffed. “There <em>is</em> no ‘out’,” he answered, eyes narrowed dangerously. “The Ninkyō Dantai is a lifelong commitment.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku cocked her head a fraction, leaning forward.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro’s shoulders tensed. “Not for me. This is too much.”</p><p class="Preference">The suit shook his head and looked at the man to his right. “This is the price we pay for trusting an elitist.” Turning back to Shiro he told him. “You should die for this betrayal, Kamiken. However.” He paused and leaned forward. “I will allow you to keep your head. But you will lose something else, instead, to prove your loyalty.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro stood with his back ramrod straight, looking the suit dead in the eye. “No.”</p><p class="Preference">“This is your final chance.”</p><p class="Preference">“I don’t care.” Shiro stiffened, his hands clenching and unclenching behind his back. “I am out – one way or the other.”</p><p class="Preference">The suit lifted one hand. “If that is your choice, then very well. Kamisenshi, you know what to do.”</p><p class="Preference">The man to the suit’s right stepped forward and drew a katana from his belt, holding it in front of himself in a fighting stance. Shiro dropped one foot back, one hand hovering just above the katana hilt that Viperion could finally see protruding from his coat. The two men stared at each other for several minutes, neither one willing to make the first move. Viperion hardly dared to breathe as the standoff continued. Next to him, Ryoku had gone deathly still, a calculating look in her eyes as she watched.</p><p class="Preference">Finally, Kamisenshi lunged forward, a blur of motion, slashing at Shiro’s shoulder. Shiro’s katana darted out lightning fast, a quick strike that knocked Kamisenshi’s sword aside and swiped at his chest in the same motion. Kamisenshi went airborne to evade the slash, at the same time swinging his own sword at Shiro’s head. Shiro ducked and backed away, placing more space between himself and his assailant. Kamisenshi pursued him, katana darting and flashing in the light, attacking over and over from all angles. Shiro held his katana up with both hands, blocking Kamisenshi’s strikes with the flat of the blade, giving ground with each block. With a yell he spun around Kamisenshi’s slash, swinging his katana at his opponent’s exposed arm.</p><p class="Preference">Kamisenshi, however, dropped low. Shiro’s blade passed harmlessly over his head, and he sprang up and slashed Shiro across the back. A line of red blood traced across Shiro’s jacket. He dropped to one knee, katana tip propped on the cement floor to hold himself upright, hissing in pain.</p><p class="Preference">“I suppose we can tell who the true family swordfighter is,” Viperion muttered, raising an eyebrow at Ryoku.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku fixed him with a deadpan look. “Be ready to move,” she informed him, swinging over the catwalk and dropping the fifteen meters to the ground in a single fluid motion. Every eye in the building turned to follow her sudden appearance. Just before she landed, she drew her sword, cut a slashing motion across the room, and screamed, “Wind Dragon!” The wind around the building whistled and built into a massive gust, following the path of Ryoku’s sword and barreling several men to the ground. One, a mountain of a man with an enormous hammer resting on his shoulder, dropped to one knee, his hammer’s head striking the floor with a thud. The floor rumbled around him as his fist clenched around the handle. Without hesitating, Ryoku grabbed Shiro by the back of his collar, threw him over her shoulder, and raced for the door.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion was about to follow her when a sudden movement from the middle of the room caught his attention. Kamisenshi tossed his katana into the air, and a sudden gust of wind caught it and sent it hurtling at Ryoku’s back. Drawing his lyre from its place on his back, Viperion whipped it straight down to smash into the katana, sending it clattering to the ground. The blade embedded in the concrete floor and quivered as the lyre ricocheted off the ground and back up. Viperion sprang off the catwalk and caught his lyre in midair before dropping to the floor and racing out the door behind Ryoku. He arrived outside just as she was pushing Shiro into the backseat of the car still idling in front of the the warehouse. Viperion swung through the open front passenger window and drove both his feet into the driver’s head. Pushing the man out the door and into the street, he threw the car into gear and peeled away from the curb, burning rubber in his haste to escape. A glance into the rearview mirror showed the gangsters pouring out of the warehouse and looking around in confusion.</p><p class="Preference">“What the hell was all of that?” Viperion demanded, risking a glance away from the road to see Shiro leaning across Ryoku’s lap, his katana held in a limp grip.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku pressed a cloth to Shiro’s back and met Viperion’s gaze, her eyes aflame with rage. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s Yakuza!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">“He’s Yakuza!” Ryoku glared at her cousin, her words hanging in the air. After everything she had seen – the secret warehouse meeting, the fight, all of it – that was the only explanation she could give for the night’s events. Shiro had somehow gotten himself mixed up with the Yakuza. She carefully wiped the blood away from the cut on his back, waiting for him to respond to her accusation. “Well…” she demanded heatedly. “Are you going to deny it? Because I know what I saw.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro closed his eyes, wincing, and slumped forward over her lap, the katana finally dropping from his slack grip. “What does it matter to you?” he retorted, though without any energy.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku pressed the cloth against his back as the bleeding began to slow. “It matters.”</p><p class="Preference">The car decelerated. Viperion turned down another deserted street, putting more distance between them and the Yakuza, trying to throw off any possible pursuit. Ryoku met his eyes in the rearview mirror and frowned. Viperion pursed his lips and made another turn, driving along parallel to the elevated highway. “Where should we go?” he asked. “Should we take him home?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro’s eyes widened in fear and he gasped. “We need to get there <em>now</em>!” he insisted, abruptly sitting up straight. “Do you have any idea what they will do now!?” He groaned and slammed his fist on the seat. “<em>Why</em> did you people have to interfere?”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku gave him a look, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Was home really the best place to bring him, back where he could put the rest of the family in danger? What was even going on here? Their family had never had connections to organized crime before; what had changed? jFinally she shook her head. “No,” she decided. “Pull over. We’re not taking him <em>anywhere</em> until we get some answers.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion nodded slowly and turned off that street and into the parking area adjacent to a small park. Turning off the engine he killed the lights and turned his attention to the mirrors, searching for any other vehicles on the road. Trusting him to keep them safe, Ryoku focused on Shiro, a severe look in her eyes. “Now start talking. What is going on here?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro groaned and leaned back in the seat. Closing his eyes, he sat still for a long minute before speaking. “That <em>was</em> a Yakuza hideout where you found me,” he admitted, his shoulders slumping. “And yes, I <em>was</em> working for them.”</p><p class="Preference">“So you <em>are</em> Yakuza,” Ryoku stated ominously, eyes narrowed. “What the <em>hell</em> were you thinking?”</p><p class="Preference">“I <em>was</em>,” he corrected her, fixing her with a hard glare. “Not anymore. Or did you forget about…” He twisted around to show her his injured back, wincing as the skin twisted.</p><p class="Preference">“You’d better explain what happened,” Viperion told him, a pensive look on his face.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro let out a resigned breath. “I keep the books for our family business,” he explained. His head fell back on the headrest and he closed his eyes. “Last year, we ran into a little financial trouble, and I didn’t know what to do. Father is proud – he would have considered seeking help to be dishonorable – so I had to take care of it myself. A friend who works at our bank put me in contact with Okamura-san as a possible investor. Okamura-san agreed to quietly bail us out, but only at a price. I was so relieved I didn’t question it until the deal was done. That’s when I discovered that he was oyabun of a Yakuza clan.”</p><p class="Preference">“You didn’t think to ask about that <em>first</em>?” Ryoku stared at him in disbelief.</p><p class="Preference">“I was desperate!” insisted Shiro. “I was afraid of what Father would say! Even when I found out, I thought I could just grit my teeth and pay them back and that would be the end of it.”</p><p class="Preference">“What did they want for payment?” Viperion asked. “Or should we guess?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro sighed. “Okamura-san said I had to repay my ‘debt of honor’ to them in labor, and that the price of investment was access to all the company’s assets. I had to adjust the shipment manifests for select shipments to allow them to bring some things into the country using our company. No customs, no inspections, erase all evidence of the shipments afterward.”</p><p class="Preference">“What does that mean?” asked Ryoku, brows knitting together.</p><p class="Preference">“What do you think it means?” Shiro retorted rhetorically, glaring at her. “Once or twice I got a call to adjust a shipping manifest to make a container disappear. Only one during the first quarter, but then it increased – once or twice a month, then weekly or more.”</p><p class="Preference">“What was in the containers?” Viperion asked.</p><p class="Preference">“They never told me. But I watched the security footage before deleting it one time. At least that time, they were bringing girls into the country – Thais, mostly, I think, though some might have been from elsewhere. Then the rest of the time, Okamura-san used me for protection: protecting shipments, sometimes protecting him. He used me as a sōkaiya a few times. A few nights a week I watched one of his clubs. Once or twice he got us together expecting a turf war, though we only ever sat around waiting for a fight that didn’t happen.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku frowned. Something still didn’t add up. “You got in bed with the Yakuza to save your family business. Fine. Whatever. So what changed? Why did you quit?”</p><p class="Preference">“The job.” Shiro groaned. “Okamura-san is trying to go more mainstream with a new property scheme – it’s supposed to improve his legitimacy. One of the assembly members has been blocking the development, so I was supposed to kidnap his daughter in order to put pressure on him.”</p><p class="Preference">“I take it that you refused?” asked Viperion, raising an eyebrow.</p><p class="Preference">“They didn’t cut me up for <em>doing</em> it,” Shiro retorted, frowning. “How could I look at myself again if I did something like that? I accepted Okamura-san’s offer to avoid the dishonor of the company failing; what would it do to my family’s honor if I abducted a five-year-old girl? I <em>had</em> to refuse.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide. “Do you have any idea the danger that puts your family in?” she demanded. She gave Viperion a look, and the car started almost immediately, peeling out of the parking lot. “This is bad!”</p><p class="Preference">“Do you think I don’t <em>know</em> that!?” Shiro ground out through clenched teeth. “I <em>know</em> what it means; the first day I worked for Okamura-san, I had to <em>watch</em> what it means when he slaughtered his wakagashira in front of us!”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion accelerated down the street and didn’t slow down as he shot up the ramp onto the highway. Ryoku watched the city shoot past them at high speed, clenching her jaw in frustration – frustration at Shiro for putting their family in danger by joining the Yakuza in the first place, and frustration at herself for not rushing home immediately after saving him. Her eyes widened in sudden shock – the realization hit her like a flash of lightning. “You didn’t think you would survive tonight, did you?” she accused him.</p><p class="Preference">He shook his head. “If I was dead, then they would have had no reason to take revenge against my family.”</p><p class="Preference">“You realize how terrible a plan that was, right?” she demanded. “Even if you were dead, what would stop them from killing your family as a warning to others!?”</p><p class="Preference">“I–” Shiro’s shoulders slumped.</p><p class="Preference">The car hurtled down the highway, faster and faster as Viperion drove the pedal all the way to the floor. He tapped the brake only slightly as he veered off the highway into the residential area where her aunt and uncle lived. She stared out the windshield, a tense set to her jaw, afraid of what they could find when they arrived. Afraid that they might be too late.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku’s stomach plummeted into her feet when they pulled up to the driveway. Two vans were parked in front of the house, the yard ablaze with light pouring from the security spotlights on the front yard. Shadows danced across the grass from many people moving around, their outlines forming strange shapes and patterns. A clash of steel rang out across the yard, and Ryoku’s eye was instantly drawn to the flash of light reflected off of metal. In the middle of a ring of people stood her uncle, dressed only in a nightgown and holding a wakizashi in front of himself with one hand to fend off another attack from the same swordsman who had fought Shiro – Kamisenshi.</p><p class="Preference">“No!” shouted Shiro, struggling against Ryoku’s tight grip, trying to get out of the car even before it had fully stopped. “Father!” He threw his shoulder into the car door and it burst open. He fell out onto the driveway, stumbling across the lawn, katana in hand.</p><p class="Preference">“Get Oba!” Ryoku yelled to Viperion, chasing her cousin out of the car and drawing her own sword. “I’ll get Oji!” She heard the car door open behind her, but couldn’t take her eyes off of the crowd of Yakuza thugs in front of the house that had closed in around her uncle, pressing him back toward the doorway. Ojisan swung his wakizashi again to parry another strike, but Kamisenshi flicked his wrist just before contact, slipped his blade beneath Ojisan’s guard, and hooked it behind the wakizashi. With a quick twist, he wrenched the sword out of Ojisan’s hand. “Lightning Dragon!” Ryoku bellowed, pointing her sword at Kamisenshi’s back. Lightning arced along the length of the sword, reaching out for Kamisenshi–</p><p class="Preference">but grounded before reaching him. The large man who had been at the warehouse interposed himself between Ryoku and her target, planting his enormous hammer’s head on the ground and leaning the handle toward her. The lightning struck the handle and coursed harmlessly down the metal shaft and into the ground.</p><p class="Preference">A cry of pain pierced the night and was instantly silenced. To Ryoku’s right, closer to the mob, Shiro fell to his knees. Kamisenshi stepped back from the house, appearing from behind the large man, his katana blade red with blood. Ryoku tightened her grip on her sword and charged, yelling at the top of her lungs. Leaping into the air she spun around, aiming a slash directly at the big man, who dropped back, raising his hammer to block her strike with the handle. The miraculous sword bit a centimeter into the handle, and the man backed away, pushed back by the force of the blow. Ryoku pursued him, slashing again for his side. The man moved back out of her striking range, swung the hammer over his head, and brought it down at her head. In a flash Ryoku stepped to the side, and the hammer struck the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth. Several nearby Yakuza stumbled. Ryoku pinwheeled her arms to maintain her balance before dropping one foot back into a stronger fighting stance, sword upraised.</p><p class="Preference">Kamisenshi stepped forward. “Allow me, Kamiyama,” he told the big man, holding his katana in both hands, imitating Ryoku’s posture.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku crouched low and shifted her stance, off hand extended and sword raised horizontal alongside her shoulders, taking in her surroundings in her peripheral vision. A couple of the nearby Yakuza had drawn handguns. One man held a pair of tessen. All of their eyes were on her. Behind the Yakuza, Shiro knelt on the front steps, Ojisan’s head in his lap, the katana forgotten on the ground. Ojisan’s mouth moved the slightest bit, a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. A shadow passed over Ryoku’s head; she didn’t need to look to know that it was Viperion.</p><p class="Preference">Kamisenshi moved first, his katana moving faster than thought in a series of strikes directed at Ryoku from every angle. But for as fast as he could move, her miraculous-enhanced reflexes allowed her to move equally fast. Parrying the first strike and knocking his blade into the ground, she spun over his sword, swinging a backhanded slash at his side. Kamisenshi ducked her first attack and brought his own sword up to block her follow-up, swinging around to face Shiro. Ryoku sprang into the air and flipped, landing between Kamisenshi and Shiro, eyes narrowed in fury. Behind Kamisenshi and the crowd of Yakuza backing him, she could see Viperion placing Obasan into the front seat of the car. Suddenly a flowerpot flew into Ryoku’s head from the side. She gasped, turned her head slightly to find the culprit, but no one was there. Taking advantage of her distraction, Kamisenshi kicked her in the leg, and she fell back a pace in surprise.</p><p class="Preference">They had to get out of there – there was no winning here, not against these odds, and not while trying to protect Obasan and an injured Shiro. The car engine revved. Ryoku grabbed Shiro’s collar and, jumping over Kamiyama’s swinging hammer, sprinted to the car. Shoving Shiro into the backseat first, Ryoku dove in after him, just as a hail of bullets impacted the side of the car. Even before the door was closed, Viperion tore off into the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">“Stop just up here.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion did as he was directed – those were the first words anyone had spoken in close to three hours. After their flight from Eiji and Miki’s house, Miki had given them directions directly to Kimiko’s apartment building, where Ryoku had rushed inside and bundled her cousin straight into the car – they had been stopped for no more than three minutes before Ryoku dropped from the apartment balcony and landed on the sidewalk next to the car, Kimiko hanging onto her back for dear life. Since then Viperion had spent an hour driving around the city in circles, crossing the bridges over and over, crisscrossing the city center, trying to throw off any pursuit. He had kept one eye on the mirrors the whole time, and not a single other vehicle had appeared. After his random meanderings, he found himself driving through in a neighborhood west of the Imperial Palace, surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings. At Ryoku’s words, Viperion pulled to a stop in front of a building that looked no different from any of the others.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku pushed the car door open and sprang out, sword in hand, looking in both directions several times before gesturing for her aunt and cousins to follow her. “Wait in the entryway,” she instructed them, pulling a key out of a pocket in her suit and handing it to Kimiko. Once they had moved to obey her, Ryoku stuck her head into the car window and whispered quietly. “Ditch the car and meet me on the roof.”</p><p class="Preference">“Be careful,” he whispered back, trying to convey his worry with his eyes.</p><p class="Preference">She gave him a curt not and rushed into the building after her family.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion peeled away from the curb, making a mental note of the building’s location before he lost sight of it entirely. Carefully he wended his way through the city, putting as much distance between himself and the others as he could. Ryoku would be okay – at least physically. The rest of the family was still alive. Even Shiro would recover from his injuries. But Eiji… Viperion slammed his palm into the steering wheel in frustration. He hadn’t known Kagami’s uncle for very long; he wasn’t sure that Eiji had even really liked him, but he was family. Luka was no stranger to death; his miraculous burdened him with the responsibility of watching death after death in order to prevent those events from occurring. The first time he and Ryoku had worked together, he had watched her die no less than three times; since then he had watched her die dozens more. He had seen his other teammates get injured and even killed on numerous occasions, and he had borne those experiences stoically. After all, <em>someone</em> had to hold the Snake Miraculous, and this gave him the capacity to change events, to prevent the horrible scenarios he witnessed from becoming the reality. But watching people get hurt when he was powerless to prevent it… he still couldn’t reconcile to that.</p><p class="Preference">There had been a time when he was on patrol with Sk8r Girl last spring when they had run into a group of gangsters unexpectedly. Before he could activate Second Chance, she had attacked one of them and turned her back on another, who had knocked her to the ground, giving her a concussion. Viperion had dispatched the remaining thugs on his own with only two resets, but Sk8r Girl had been dazed for the rest of the night. When Rena Rouge and Pegasus had fought the Shunjar called “Hugo” in the fall, Luka had been at home, completely unaware of what was happening until it was over. But by far the worst had been when Ryoku was nearly killed over the summer while saving Carapace. He had been in Paris on his own mission at the time, and she had nearly bled out on the dirty concrete floor of a warehouse – and he none the wiser until it was all over. He’d had nightmares for days after that, despite knowing that she was alive, safe, and whole.</p><p class="Preference">And this time, he had been helpless to save Eiji because he hadn’t had Second Chance active. But even if he had, would that have made a difference? Sass had warned him before about the dangers inherent in his power. One of Sass’s last Atlantean holders had activated Second Chance too late to save his team: while they were still alive when he activated it, there wasn’t enough time to change the events. There was never enough time for him to change the events. He had tried over and over for years to save them, but all he could do was to watch them die over and over again. In the end, after over a decade of resets, he’d finally had to accept defeat. The best he had been able to accomplish was to recover their miraculous and escape. That had been the last time that Ourboros had ever transformed. He had renounced both his miraculous and his guardianship at the same time and gone off to live in exile. Losing all of his memories had been preferable to living with the memory of his failure.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion’s lips twisted down into a frown. This time, it had all happened so fast that he couldn’t react until it was too late. And as a result, Kagami’s uncle had been killed. There had been nothing he could do to change it. Now, all he could do was try to help Kagami and her aunt and cousins to pick up the pieces as best they could – to keep the rest of the family safe. He looked around in confusion: lost in thought as he had been, he had crossed at least two bridges heading east from Tokyo’s city center. Turning off the highway, he followed signs indicating the way to Tokyo Disneyland. He could leave the car in the parking lot there, and no one would be able to trace it back to them. As late as it was – the car’s clock showed it to be close to four in the morning – he was almost entirely alone on the road, though two or three cars drove in the same direction as him. Once he reached the park, the other vehicles turned aside into the employee parking lot, while he found a space as far from the front entrance as possible, in a darkened corner of the visitor lot. Finally he slipped out of the car and into the shadows to make his way back across the city to the apartment building where he had left Ryoku and the others.</p><p class="Preference">As he raced across bridges and leapt from rooftop to rooftop, he inhaled deeply of the bracingly cold winter air, allowing it to reinvigorate him and wake him up. Far in the distance he could see the apartment building, and on the roof he could just make out a figure pacing back and forth. As he approached, he put on a burst of speed, racing across the rooftops, jumping from building to building, scrambling up the side of each new apartment building to its roof, gaining elevation with each one he traversed. Finally he reached Ryoku’s apartment building, still another handful of floors taller. He jumped off his building, grabbed the balcony railing closest to his height, and propelled himself upward, springing from handhold to handhold, until he alit on the roof. Before he knew what was happening, a head of black hair crashed into him and buried itself in his chest, quivering as it was wracked by sobs.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion held Ryoku close, one hand on her back while he ran the fingers of his other hand through her hair. Her grip on his suit front tightened. Slowly he guided her down to sit on the roof, easing her into his lap and hugging her tightly as she wept. To their right the cityscape was illuminated by the bright lights of the Tokyo Tower, and of the bridge beyond it. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply, in and out, rocking her from side to side and waiting for her tears to subside. He couldn’t fix this, as much as it hurt to see the woman he loved in such terrible pain and grief. All he could do was to hold her and give her what comfort and strength he could. Quietly he began humming under his breath, a variation on her heart song – tinged as it sounded now by grief, modulating the tender song into a lament.</p><p class="Preference">After what felt like an hour, Ryoku sniffled and nuzzled up against his collarbone, her breathing ragged. Viperion ran one finger down her side, and she shivered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I…”</p><p class="Preference">“Shh…” he soothed her quietly. “You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. If anything, <em>I</em> should be sorry. If I had only started my power before it happened, maybe we could have saved him.”</p><p class="Preference">She looked up at him in surprise. “I’m not upset with you over that,” she answered. “<em>I</em>’m the one who does the fighting. <em>I</em> should have saved Ojisan.” She sighed heavily, dropping her gaze down to his chest. “I shouldn’t have been so short with you all night,” she admitted, resting her forehead under his chin.</p><p class="Preference">“I forgive you,” he told her, rubbing her back soothingly. “And I’m here with you. You aren’t facing this alone.”</p><p class="Preference">She wrapped her arms around him even more tightly, almost making it hard for him to breathe. “Thanks,” she whispered, sniffling.</p><p class="Preference">“So where are we?” he asked, looking around.</p><p class="Preference">“My father’s old apartment from before my parents met,” Ryoku explained. “He kept it after they married as somewhere for clients to stay, and Mother kept it after his death. We haven't used it for clients in a few years since we have apartments closer to the office, so just about no one knows about it. Hopefully we’ll be safe here until we figure out our next move.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion nodded. “That was a smart idea.”</p><p class="Preference">“Thanks.” She was quiet for a moment, and Viperion started to hum again, shifting from the lament to a something closer to her heart song. Finally her breathing began to even out. “Do you think we should tell them?” she asked.</p><p class="Preference">“Our identities?” She nodded. He frowned. “I don’t think we should tell them right now,” he told her judiciously. “After everything that happened tonight, do they really need <em>another</em> shock? And we’re all still in danger; it could put them in even <em>more</em> danger if they know our identities.”</p><p class="Preference">“We’re all in danger right now, regardless of whether they know or not,” she pointed out, pursing her lips.</p><p class="Preference">He nodded. “That’s true,” he admitted. “But if the Yakuza find out our identities, what could they do with that information? Give it to Lynchpin or Night Bat? Use it to try to break us?” He let out a heavy breath. “Until we can figure out what’s happening, I think we’re all better off without them knowing.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku clenched her fist. “But I <em>want</em> them to know,” she whispered.</p><p class="Preference">“I just–I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He sighed in frustration, clenching his eyes shut.</p><p class="Preference">“I want to grieve with Obasan… I want her to know it’s <em>my</em> fault…” Her voice dropped so low that the wind almost blew it away.</p><p class="Preference">“Hey.” Viperion shifted his hand to her shoulder, meeting her eye. “Don’t put this on yourself, babe. You did everything you could. We just–” He paused. What could he even <em>say</em>? “Sometimes there <em>is</em> no fixing it.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku’s shoulders slumped but she nodded reluctantly. He could hear the conflict in her song. “I know…”</p><p class="Preference">He cradled her gently, looking out over the city. “The Tower really is beautiful in the dark,” he commented, nodding to the south.</p><p class="Preference">She hummed. “Yeah, it is.” She sniffed. “I wish we could have come to see it under better circumstances…”</p><p class="Preference">“Me, too.” She shivered in his grip, and he pursed his lips. “Are you ready to go in?”</p><p class="Preference">She nodded, and he slipped his other arm under her knees, cradling her against his chest, carrying her bridal-style to the rooftop door that she had propped ajar. Careful not to bump her feet on the doorframe, he sidestepped inside and kicked out the doorstop. Quietly he made his way down the steps to the correct floor and found the apartment door slightly ajar. Inside it was sparsely furnished and musty with a smell of disuse. Viperion walked over to the ratty old couch and laid Ryoku across it before lying down beside her and pulling a blanket over them. Softly he began to hum her heart song as her breathing evened out and she fell asleep nestled in his arms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to a couple comments/reviews wanting more of the characters’ reactions to this week’s <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26732992/chapters/74512827">“Patrol Log,”</a> I’m publishing a follow-up to it today in <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771119/chapters/74671842">“Life and Times.”</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">The next morning, Kagami woke up with her head pillowed on what had to be Luka’s arm as he traced delicate circles on her shoulder with his free hand. She nestled into his embrace, hugging his chest, refusing to open her eyes. She needed to sneak back to her room before anyone found them, but she didn’t want to wake up, didn’t want to leave his embrace. The previous night had been so late, and she was so tired… her dreams had been so confused. She inhaled deeply, expecting to smell the familiar scent of Luka’s deodorant. Instead, she smelled the equally-familiar faux-leather of his miraculous suit. Her hands on his chest were gloved – the fingers caressing her arm were also gloved. They were both transformed. Suddenly what had happened and where they were came back to her all at once. They had infiltrated a Yakuza hideout. Shiro had nearly been killed. Ojisan really <em>had</em> been murdered. They sleeping on an old couch, hiding in her father’s old apartment. None of it had been a dream. Ryoku’s eyes shot wide open, and she stared up at Viperion, who was watching her pensively.</p><p class="Preference">“Good morning,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. She tensed and let out a heavy breath. He nodded and ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer and resting his chin on her head. “I know: not exactly ‘good’.”</p><p class="Preference">“I can’t believe…” She sniffed, clenching her eyes shut. “What are we supposed to do now?”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he admitted.</p><p class="Preference">She leaned back to meet his gaze and chuckled humorlessly. “You’re <em>always</em> the one who knows what to do,” she pointed out.</p><p class="Preference">He shook his head, sighing heavily, and placed his forehead against hers. “Not this time. I can’t exactly rewind and fix this.”</p><p class="Preference">“I know. It’s just…” She fell silent. Nothing she said could make it different. Nothing she said would bring Ojisan back.</p><p class="Preference">“We’ll get through this together,” he promised her, squeezing her shoulder, hugging her tightly.</p><p class="Preference">She hugged him back and buried her face in his chest, waiting for the tears to return. But they wouldn’t. Finally she relaxed her grip on him and pulled back to meet his eye, nodding with a firm set to her jaw. “Yeah…” She frowned. “But we don’t keep this apartment stocked at all. We need food. And clothes –unless you had the time to grab some from the house last night.”</p><p class="Preference">He shook his head. “Everything else seemed a little more important,” he admitted. “I was going to go shopping as soon as you woke up. I have my credit card on me at least, and I don’t know if the Yakuza can track that kind of thing, but even if they can, hopefully they won’t connect me to you or your family.”</p><p class="Preference">“Thanks.” Ryoku sat up and stretched her neck in both directions, rolling it to relieve the tension. Her elbows dropped onto her knees and she slumped forward, closing her eyes. Viperion sat up, shifted to sit behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders, kneading the muscles under her shoulder blades and on the sides of her neck, gently at first but steadily increasing the pressure to work out the stiff muscles from her uncomfortable sleeping position. Slowly she leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll keep an eye on everyone here until you get back,” she finally told him, sitting up. “The sooner you go, the smaller the crowds will be at the stores.”</p><p class="Preference">He gave her a kiss as they stood up. “Be careful, babe.”</p><p class="Preference">She nodded seriously and raised an eyebrow. “<em>You</em> be careful; <em>you</em> have the more dangerous part of this.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll be back as fast as I can.” With that he slipped out the apartment door and turned toward the stairwell and the roof access.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku sat down on the couch and drew her sword, examining the hilt carefully. The wind and lightning emblems were dark; she had used them both last night – not that the lightning had done anything for her uncle. Her fist clenched, trembled, and she closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall now that she was alone again. She hadn’t seen her aunt and uncle in years – not since moving to Paris – but they had been close before then. Whenever she would spend a weekend with them, Ojisan had let them stay up late to watch anime – or at least hadn’t said anything to send them to bed. Ojisan and Mother had both pushed her to excel in her fencing and kendo, but Ojisan had been far more encouraging and far less demanding about it than Mother.</p><p class="Preference">The bedroom door creaked open behind her, and Ryoku turned her head slightly to find Shiro trying to tiptoe across the hallway to the bathroom. “You realize our hearing is far more sensitive with the miraculous, right?” she asked him, arching an eyebrow.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro paused, grimaced guiltily, and looked around the front room. “Where did your partner go?”</p><p class="Preference">“He left a couple minutes ago to pick up some supplies. It’s just us for now.”</p><p class="Preference">His eyes drifted to the window opening out on the street below. “What if they come while he’s out?”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku shrugged. “Bad news for them, I guess: <em>he</em>’s the planner, but <em>I</em>’m the fighter. And I could use an excuse to let off some steam.” She gave him an evaluating look. “Besides, I’ve got <em>you</em> here. Though I can’t say I’m impressed. You could’ve made a better showing in your fight last night. Don’t you study kendo?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you blaming me for my father’s death and my family being on the run?”</p><p class="Preference">“From where I’m sitting, that would seem to be the case,” she retorted heatedly, eyes lighting up in anger.</p><p class="Preference">He stalked closer to Ryoku and folded his arms. “Do you want to put that to the test?” he demanded.</p><p class="Preference">“Any time you’re ready,” she shot back, her grip tightening on her sword.</p><p class="Preference">“Right now.” Shiro stalked across the room and grabbed his katana from the corner where he had rested it the night before. Whirling around, he held it up in both hands with the blade pointing at Ryoku.</p><p class="Preference">She eyed the tip dispassionately before returning her gaze to his face. “On the roof so we don’t disturb the others,” she decided.</p><p class="Preference">“Fine.” Shiro spun on his heel, threw the door open, and stormed out.</p><p class="Preference">After a minute, Ryoku pushed herself up off the couch, sheathed her sword, and followed him outside and up the stairs to the open roof door. Stepping outside, she barely had a moment to take in the sun just starting to become visible above the skyscrapers when Shiro leapt at her with a yell, bringing the katana blade down at her head. Ryoku quickly drew her own sword and whipped it around, parrying his blow with the side of her blade and swiping at his chest with the edge. He sprang back away from her, and her sword came within a hand’s breath of his chest. He swung again at her legs, and she smacked the blade down to deflect into the roofing beside her. Before Shiro could react, she jabbed him once in the side with her elbow. Shiro stumbled away from her, rubbing his side where she’d hit him.</p><p class="Preference">“Not so tough, are you?” she taunted, tossing her sword from hand to hand, glaring at him furiously. “Big bad Yakuza thug who turned on his gang and got kicked out?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro spun around, eyes aflame, swinging at Ryoku’s chest. She jumped back away from him, allowing his strike to miss her entirely and pull him off balance. Stepping back inside his range, she smacked him across the back with the flat of her blade, directly above his still-healing wound from the night before. He let out a hiss of pain and dropped to his knee, planting his fist on the roof. “I couldn’t do what they told me to do!” he shouted, staring up at her through narrowed eyes. “How would that have been honorable?”</p><p class="Preference">“You claim to have honor after throwing in your lot with thieves and criminals?”</p><p class="Preference">“I had no choice!”</p><p class="Preference">“So you dishonor your family by consorting with these gangsters?” she yelled, spinning her sword around by the hilt and planting the tip on the roof, a meter from his hand.</p><p class="Preference">“I was trying to <em>rescue</em> my family’s honor!”</p><p class="Preference">She scoffed. “And look what this has gotten you! On the run, your family in danger! How is <em>this</em> any more honorable than the loss of face for your company in needing a loan!?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro lunged forward, holding his katana with both hands and swinging from his strong side. Ryoku spun her sword around to parry the blow, and Shiro dropped it to evade her block and slip it in behind her leg, sweeping her off her feet. Ryoku moved with the strike, turning the momentum into a back flip, and regained her footing just as he took another slash at her throat. Dropping beneath the swing, she swept his legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground. Shiro grunted on landing on is injured back. But gritting his teeth against the pain, he rolled over to his front and pushed himself up. Ryoku spun a kick at the level of his waist which he evaded, her leg sailing harmlessly over his head. With her off balance, he leapt into the air, bringing his sword down straight at her shoulder with a scream. Ryoku stepped to one side and kicked him in the chest as he landed.</p><p class="Preference">“It is <em>your</em> fault that any of this happened!” she shouted as he pushed himself back to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily, one hand on his stomach, trying to hold his katana up with the other. “If it weren’t for you, your father would still be alive! Your family wouldn’t be on the run! Do you deny it?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro’s shoulders slumped. His katana dropped a centimeter. “No.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku’s voice took on an ominous tone as she stepped closer. “So what are you going to do about it?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro let out a pained breath. His face hardened and his back straightened. His mouth set in a thin line, the only hint of his injury in the slight tightening around his eyes. “I’m going to obey my father’s dying wish. I’m going to keep my mother and sister safe.” He clenched the katana’s hilt tightly. “And I am going to avenge his death.”</p><p class="Preference">She nodded and dropped into her fighting stance. “Now let’s see what you’ve got.” Shiro lunged forward, swinging his sword back at her, angling to sneak inside of her own sword. Ryoku watched the attack come, and slipped out of the way at the last moment, batting his blade aside. Shiro pursued, swinging again. Again she evaded. “You have to be quicker than that! Your opponent is faster than you! You must anticipate where I’m going to be!”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro grunted in frustration and swung at her shoulder. Ryoku backed away, and Shiro lunged forward, turning his momentum around into another strike at her hip. Ryoku raised her blade to block his and nodded. “Good.” She pushed his blade away and slashed at his weak shoulder. He raised his sword to block but turned it aside at the last moment, dropping low and leaning to the side, passing under the slash. The moment her sword was past, he pushed the blade away with his own, exposing Ryoku’s side. He kicked her in the flesh right above her hip, and she allowed his momentum to push her around into a cartwheel before snapping back to her feet, her sword coming up to block his follow-up strike. She disengaged and nodded. “Better.”</p><p class="Preference">“You’re <em>definitely</em> looking better than anything I saw last night,” observed an unexpected voice. Ryoku turned to find Viperion sitting on the edge of the roof and watching them, several bags of shopping in his hands. “If you’re finished, I have stuff for breakfast,” Viperion told them.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku nodded, sheathing her sword. “First I need a shower.”</p><p class="Preference">“<em>Are</em> we finished?” Shiro wondered, giving both of them a troubled look.</p><p class="Preference">She sighed. “For now,” she agreed. “But we <em>will</em> revisit this again later.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">While Ryoku showered and changed in the apartment’s single bathroom, Viperion installed a pair of security cameras, one in the window pointed down at the street and the other in the hallway to watch the stairs, and synced both of them to his miraculous communicator using one of the programs that Pegasus had installed on all their tools. With that taken care of, he started putting something together for breakfast. Miki and Kimiko were still asleep in the bedroom; Shiro sat at the table with his head in his hands, eyes closed, Ryoku having replaced his bandages with fresh ones after the wounds had reopened during their sparring match. The teapot finished steeping, and Viperion poured a cup and placed it in front of Shiro, who stared at it without touching it. With a sigh, Viperion carefully measured out rice and water, covered the pan, and turned on the stove to start it cooking. It would be a while before he had to start on the eggs, so he turned around, leaning against the counter and watching Shiro, listening to his heart-song. Closing his eyes he began to hum softly, a mournful tune full of dissonance. Frenetic rhythms gave way to a ritardando as the song progressed.</p><p class="Preference">“What song is that?” Shiro asked.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion opened his eyes to find him staring at him in confusion. “Yours,” he explained. “I can hear people’s heart songs. Though it’s only really clear for the people I know really well. Yours isn’t <em>too</em> clear to me at the moment, but it is definitely a lament – not that I’m surprised.”</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t be overly happy after losing your father, would you?” Shiro demanded, raising an eyebrow. “Especially when you’re the one who killed him…”</p><p class="Preference">“No, I probably wouldn’t,” Viperion agreed calmly, pouring himself a cup of tea and downing half of it in a single swig. “Although I never actually knew my father, so I’m not sure what that would really <em>feel</em> like.”</p><p class="Preference">“What, did he die?”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion shrugged. “Not sure. It’s only been my mom and sister and me for as long as I can remember.”</p><p class="Preference">“Didn’t you ever ask?”</p><p class="Preference">“A few times,” he confirmed, nodding. “But Mom has never actually wanted to talk about him. Whenever I asked, she just pretended not to hear me. Eventually I just stopped asking. So I never knew him, and I still don’t really know <em>anything</em> about him. But you at least got to know your father.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro sighed heavily. “Yeah… right up until I got him killed.” He smacked his fist on the table. “And it was my own fault that it happened! If I had been quicker, none of this would have happened! If I had just gone along with my orders, none of this would have happened! If I had just found another way–”</p><p class="Preference">“–none of this would have happened?” Viperion finished, raising an eyebrow wryly.</p><p class="Preference">“Well, yeah…” Shiro’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve brought shame on my family. My father is dead. My family is in danger. My cousin is missing. And it’s all because of me.”</p><p class="Preference">“Your cousin is safe,” Viperion told him. Shiro gave him a confused look. Thinking fast, he explained, “I saw her door open while I was getting your mom. She’d left a note that they were going into the city to see the lights while they’re still up.”</p><p class="Preference">“What about today? What if they try to go back?”</p><p class="Preference">Shoot. “The house is going to be a crime scene, isn’t it?” he asked rhetorically. “They’ll see the police and crime scene tape and stuff and know to steer clear.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro furrowed his eyebrows, staring at Viperion suspiciously.</p><p class="Preference">This was not a safe topic – at least not right now. Viperion checked the rice before walking over to put his hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Grief, guilt, shame… all of these are powerful emotions, and understandable under the circumstances,” he told him. “Believe me, I’ve felt all of them, too. When things go wrong, it is so easy to blame yourself. Do you know what my power allows me to do?” Shiro shrugged. “I can rewind time to relive the same five minutes over and over until everything goes the way I want it to. Can you think of a more useful ability to have? Nothing ever has to go wrong. But that only works when it’s actually active. Last night, for example, I wasn’t in time to activate it – and even if I had, we might not have had enough time to save your father.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “We can blame ourselves all we want for what happened last night, but ultimately what is important is for us to trust those around us and do what we can <em>now</em>.”</p><p class="Preference">“There is no coming back from this,” Shiro muttered sullenly, clenching his fists. “Not only is Father dead, but when news of his death and its cause gets out, the family name will be permanently dishonored. What are people supposed to think when they find out it was a Yakuza hit? Father will be dishonored, and it wasn’t even his fault.”</p><p class="Preference">The bathroom door opened, and Ryoku stepped out, her hair still wet from the shower. “The family’s honor is not as important as the family,” she told him curtly. “Honor can be restored. <em>Life</em> cannot. Right now all you can do is keep what’s left of your family safe.” She looked straight at Viperion as she said it, and one corner of her lips lifted into a hint of a smile.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion held his hand out to her and she took it, squeezing it gently. Giving her hand a tug, he pulled her to himself, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her cheek on his chest, sighing in contentment. Out of the corner of his eye, Viperion could see Shiro staring at them. They stood in that position for several minutes until the pot of rice started to boil over and Viperion sheepishly released Ryoku to take it off the heat. She pulled out the chair opposite Shiro and sat down, resting her elbows on the table and staring fixedly at him.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro pursed his lips. “So how do I keep my family safe?”</p><p class="Preference">“We could get all of you out of the country,” Viperion suggested. “Pegasus could open a portal, and we could stash you anywhere – Russia, America, an island in the North Atlantic…”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro shook his head. “The Yakuza has a presence everywhere. Even if we left the country, there’s no guarantee we’d be safe.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion raised an eyebrow dubiously. “Would they really want to risk the wrath of the Heroes of Paris?”</p><p class="Preference">“With the Kami-gumi on their side, they probably wouldn’t be too worried.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku shared a look with Viperion and frowned. Viperion furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before he nodded. “In that case,” she announced, “it sounds like the only way to make sure they’re safe would be to stop the Yakuza – or at least give them more to worry about than targeting your family.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro stared at her, jaw dropped. “You want to actually take on the <em>Yakuza</em> head-on?”</p><p class="Preference">“Did I stutter?”</p><p class="Preference">“You people are insane.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion sighed heavily. “I don’t like it all that much, either, but it’s the best idea <em>we</em> have. Do you have a <em>better</em> one?” he asked, rummaging through the old spices in the cupboard.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro glumly shook his head, his shoulders slumping. “No, I don’t.”</p><p class="Preference">While Viperion heated up the prepackaged miso soup he had bought and started frying eggs, Ryoku folded her arms on the table and fixed her penetrating gaze on Shiro, who swallowed nervously. “Now if we’re going to do this, you have a lot to explain,” she informed him. “Starting with this ‘Kami-gumi.’ Who – and <em>what</em> – are they?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro sighed. “I don’t know too much about the others,” he answered. “I had only been part of the group for a couple months. But I do know that their abilities come from training and meditation. Kamisenshi had only just started to teach me the proper meditation techniques to access and manipulate Chikara.”</p><p class="Preference">“Start with Kamisenshi, then,” Ryoku told him, frowning pensively. “He was the one with the sword, right? The one who cut you?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro nodded, shifting his shoulders with a wince. “He’s the leader of the team. He’s a master of kendo, and his reflexes are faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku hummed contemplatively, arching an eyebrow. Viperion allowed himself a small smile – of course she would want to put that claim to the test. “What about the others?” she asked.</p><p class="Preference">“Kamiyama is the mountain with the hammer,” Shiro continued.</p><p class="Preference">“I remember him,” Viperion interjected, placing dishes with rice, eggs, and bowls of soup in front of the other two. He turned the stove down to keep the rice and soup warm until Miki and Kimiko woke. “It felt like the ground moved whenever he swung that hammer.”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s his super-strength. He can rock the earth around him, or he can bring a building down – he did that to a rival’s headquarters once.” Shiro drummed his fingers on the table, poking at his breakfast. “After that, the rest of the Kami-gumi is harder to explain: Kamikaze and Kamikangae.”</p><p class="Preference">“Try to describe them anyways,” Ryoku commanded evenly.</p><p class="Preference">“Kamikaze manipulates the wind. He carries tessen, but he never seems to need them to channel his ability.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku furrowed her brows. “How strong is this wind control?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro thought for a minute. “I’ve seen him strip the leaves from a tree before.” She arched an eyebrow dubiously. “You don’t believe me?”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku scoffed. “No, just – is that <em>all</em>?” She shrugged dismissively. “Then what about this Kamikangae?”</p><p class="Preference">“He uses Chikara to make himself smarter,” Shiro explained. “It’s hard to describe. But he can think faster than anyone else I’ve ever met. And he can also move objects with his mind.”</p><p class="Preference">“Just anything?” asked Viperion, furrowing his brows. The more he could learn about their opponents and their strengths – and more importantly weaknesses – the better.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro furrowed his brows and thought for a minute. “As far as I can tell, it depends on the size. If it’s too big then he struggles. But anything smaller than a backpack or so he can move without much trouble.”</p><p class="Preference">“Okay. That just leaves one,” Ryoku observed, arching an eyebrow. “<em>You</em>, ‘Kamiken’.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro shook his head, a dark look in his eyes. “That’s what Okamura-san and Kamisenshi called me, but I never really enjoyed hearing it – too much of a reminder of what I was doing. And who I was doing it for.” He looked across the room at the katana resting in the corner next to the door and sighed.</p><p class="Preference">“Fine. I take it you never learned any of these Chikara abilities?”</p><p class="Preference">“No. Not much good in that case, am I?”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion put a hand over Ryoku’s on the table. “You may not have super-speed or super-strength or anything like that, but you can still do something. Just sharing what you know helps.”</p><p class="Preference">At that moment the bedroom door opened, and Kimiko stepped out, her hair a tangled mess from sleep. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Ryoku started to put a hand on her shoulder but stopped, instead guiding her to a chair next to Shiro. Viperion jumped to his feet and served a plate of rice and soup for Kimiko before putting a couple eggs in the skillet to cook. Just as the eggs were done frying, Miki entered the kitchen, her eyes red, the skin around her eyes bruised from crying. Ryoku threw her arms around her aunt in a hug, which Miki hesitantly returned.</p><p class="Preference">“I–thank you for rescuing us last night,” Miki finally managed to say, her face set in an emotionless mask. “I don’t know what more could have happened if you two hadn’t come when you did. I–” Her voice trailed off, her shoulders shaking.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion shrugged as he set food in front of her on the table. “No thanks are necessary,” he told her. “I’m only sorry we didn’t arrive sooner.”</p><p class="Preference">Miki nodded, sniffling, gripping the back of a chair to stay on her feet. “I am, too.”</p><p class="Preference">“Mother,” Shiro began, standing up, bowing his head, and staring straight at the floor. “I am so sorry. I am so ashamed of what I did.” His shoulders slumped. “This was all my fault.”</p><p class="Preference">Miki put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug, sobbing on his neck, as Kimiko joined them. “I am just glad that you are safe,” Miki whispered as he hugged them back. He flinched when her hand found his injury, and she eased the pressure slightly. “No matter what happens, you are my son. And I love you.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro hugged them both tightly. “I love you, too, Mother.”</p><p class="Preference">“I–I still don’t understand…” Kimiko trailed off. “But you’re my family. And family sticks together.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Ryoku looked up from her teacup on hearing her aunt sigh heavily. They had finished breakfast close to thirty minutes ago, but no one had really wanted to leave the table. Viperion had collected the dishes and started washing them by hand, the running water and clink of plates the only sounds to be heard in the silence of the apartment.</p><p class="Preference">“There is just so much to do…” Obasan whispered finally, sniffling. “I–I need to call Tomoe… She needs to know…”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s pretty late there, isn’t it?” asked Kimiko, frowning. “Shouldn’t we–” She gasped, her eyes bugging out, staring at Obasan in alarm. “Kagami!”</p><p class="Preference">Obasan started and looked around the room. “They–But–You didn’t rescue them, also?” she asked, turning toward Viperion in the kitchen.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku schooled her features and shared a look with Viperion. She should have thought about this <em>before</em> she agreed to go along with his decision to keep their identities a secret. How could they keep Obasan and Kimiko safe <em>and</em> reassure them?</p><p class="Preference">“They weren’t at the house last night,” Shiro interjected unexpectedly, raising an eyebrow at Viperion. “That’s what you said, right?”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion nodded; Ryoku to see the relief in his eyes. “That is correct,” he confirmed. “They went into the city.”</p><p class="Preference">“But we should call them and warn them, shouldn’t we?” Kimiko demanded, rummaging around for her phone. She looked up in surprise. “My phone–it’s back in my apartment.”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s where it needs to stay,” Ryoku told her. “At least for now. They might be able to track it. And that goes for your cousin, too. If you call her, that could let them find you.”</p><p class="Preference">“But I still need to call Tomoe,” Obasan objected. “She needs to know – she will want to come for the–for the–” Kimiko put a hand on her shoulder as Obasan’s voice trailed off.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku raised an eyebrow at Viperion: she had a good point, and from his expression he knew it, too. His mouth turned down into a frown, and her eyes narrowed. Finally Viperion sighed. “It won’t be safe to contact anyone – or to plan a funeral, for that matter, until after the Yakuza are no longer such a threat…”</p><p class="Preference">“… which is why we are going to take care of them <em>today</em>, right?” supplied Ryoku, giving Viperion a pointed look. He blinked. “That way they can make their calls and make all the arrangements this afternoon and evening?” she pressed.</p><p class="Preference">“I mean, if we’re ready…”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku turned to Shiro and raised an eyebrow. “You know where to find your kumichou, right?”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro nodded firmly. “I know where to find him,” he confirmed. “I’m going to come with you to settle this thing.”</p><p class="Preference">“You’re still injured,” objected Viperion.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro rolled his shoulders, his face set in a scowl. “I’ve fought injured before. I’m coming with you. It’s <em>my</em> family that’s in danger.”</p><p class="Preference">Obasan’s eyes widened and she stared at Shiro. “What? N–no! I just lost your father – I can’t lose you now, too!”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro pursed his lips, trying to find words. “I’m sorry, mother,” he finally told her, his eyes taking on a serious glint. “But it’s <em>my</em> fault that you are in danger. I <em>have</em> to do this.”</p><p class="Preference">“Just… be careful.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku let out a breath, her eyes darting between Viperion and Shiro, and stood up. “The sooner we go, the better the chance that we can catch him by surprise.” Viperion nodded in resignation and flicked the display on his lyre, glancing up at the camera in front of the window, and Ryoku fixed Obasan with a serious look. “While we’re gone, you need to stay here, Ob–Okusama,” she corrected herself. “Keep the lights off and the door shut, and don’t contact anyone. We will let you know when it is safe.”</p><p class="Preference">When Obasan nodded, her brows furrowed in confusion, Ryoku, Viperion, and Shiro slipped out of the apartment and climbed up to the roof. Ryoku steeled herself against the frigid air, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted or show weakness. They hadn’t seen any trace of the Yakuza all day. But if she was going to keep her family safe, she would have to be strong. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up at Viperion, who was watching her with a worried expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded slowly, letting out a measured breath.</p><p class="Preference">“Where are we going?” asked Shiro, blowing into his hands before resting his hand on the hilt of his katana.</p><p class="Preference">“I suppose that’s up to you,” Ryoku replied, arching an eyebrow. “Where will we find Okamura-san at this time of day?”</p><p class="Preference">“He operates out of the backroom of a tea shop in Meguro City,” Shiro told them. “Most days that’s where he will be.” He furrowed his brow. “Then what’s the plan?”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku scoffed. “How much of a plan do we need? We find him, we kick his ass, he leaves you alone.”</p><p class="Preference">“Should we at least scout first?” Viperion asked her pointedly.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku set her mouth in a thin line. “At the moment, I don’t really care about scouting or any of that crap. As long as we know he’s there, we need to get him. The longer we wait, the more danger we’re all in.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion squeezed her shoulder gently, pulling her away from Shiro. She glared at him, and he whispered. “Are <em>you</em> in the right frame of mind for this?”</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll do what needs to be done,” she retorted shortly, jerking away from him.</p><p class="Preference">He released her shoulder and raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, but if we’re going to do this, we have to be on the same page.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku stared at him through narrowed eyes. Every fiber of her being just wanted to smack him. But seeing the unveiled concern in his eyes gave her pause. This was Luka, whom she trusted above anyone else. Luka, who knew her better than anyone else – including herself, most of the time. Luka, whom she would follow to the ends of the earth. Slowly she clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to take slow breaths. The knot in her stomach began to untangle, and she nodded curtly. “We are,” she told him. She sighed. “We are. I just–I need to do this.” Viperion frowned, but Ryoku turned away from him and grabbed Shiro by the arm, throwing him over her shoulder. “Now, where are we going exactly?”</p><hr/><p>Fifteen minutes later, the three of them landed on the roof of a department store across from the Chaba Café, crouching low to avoid being seen. Midday traffic drove past at a steady clip, supplemented by a steady stream of pedestrians walking up and down the sidewalk. A small number of cars lined the street in front of the café. Ryoku’s eyes narrowed, examining the faces of those in front of the shop: how many of them were innocent bystanders? How many were actually there to protect Okamura?</p><p class="Preference">Shiro tensed, his breath catching in his throat. “Do you see that car down there?” he whispered, pointing at the one directly in front of the door. “That’s Okamura-san’s car. He’s got to be here.”</p><p class="Preference">“What’s the best way in?” Viperion asked, examining the front of the café carefully.</p><p class="Preference">“Back entrance – Okamura-san is normally in the back room when he’s carrying out business.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku led the way from rooftop to rooftop, jumped across the street, and moved around the building to the back entrance, careful to avoid being spotted from the sidewalk. The people milling around on the street continued about their business, never once looking up. Finally they looked down into a deserted alleyway at the tea shop’s delivery door. Ryoku dropped to the ground in the alleyway and pressed herself against the wall, her miraculous-enhanced senses heightened by adrenaline. Viperion landed silently next to her and gave her a reassuring nod.</p><p class="Preference">“Should I start it now?” he asked softly.</p><p class="Preference">Carefully, Ryoku peeked around the corner into the tea shop’s back entrance. Okamura was nowhere to be seen, nor were the Kami-gumi. “Not yet,” she decided. “He’s not back here, so save it.”</p><p class="Preference">He nodded firmly. “In that case, ladies first!”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku burst through the tea shop’s delivery entrance, Shiro by her side and Viperion right behind them. Her sword sang as it left her sheath, and she dropped into a low stance, holding her sword with both hands, a posture which Shiro copied next to her. Seven men sat around card tables inside but sprang to their feet in the face of their sudden appearance, spinning around to confront the three intruders. Tables turned up, scattering cards in all directions.</p><p class="Preference">“Where is your kumichou?” Ryoku demanded, her eyes flashing.</p><p class="Preference">One of the men laughed and stepped forward, his hand resting casually on the handle of a katana. “The oyabun is not here,” he informed. “But you and the traitor will look him in the eye… when I remove your heads from your bodies!” With that the man drew his katana, lunging forward in the same motion.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku stepped casually around the strike and grabbed the man’s wrist, forcing it back until he dropped the katana, yelping in pain. Pushing him to the side, she caught the katana on her toe and flipped it into the air before kicking it across the room where it embedded almost a meter into the wall next to another man’s head, quivering.</p><p class="Preference">As if that was a signal, all of the Yakuza attacked at once.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku spun to avoid the first man’s wild punch, kneed him in the side, and knocked him to the ground, tripping up the man behind him. Wind whistling by her ear was all the warning she received that another one was behind her, his sword slashing at her neck. She ducked, narrowly evading the attack, and threw her elbow back into his gut. The man grunted in pain but stayed on his feet. Ryoku parried his next strike with her sword, pressed his sword down into the ground, and kicked him across the room to crash into a table.</p><p class="Preference">On the other side of the room, two of the Yakuza had backed Shiro into a corner. Shiro stood motionless, his sword held in both hands in front of his torso, eyes darting between the two opponents as he waited for them to move. The man to his left feinted an attack as the one to his right jumped, bringing his sword down in a two-handed slash. Shiro raised his own katana, caught the slash, and pushed the sword’s tip into the other man’s path, forcing him to pull up short. As the closer of his two opponents tried to disengage, Shiro slashed, slicing through his shirt sleeve and biting into his arm, drawing blood. The man backed away, right into Viperion’s fist. Shiro tripped the other man to the ground, pointing his katana’s tip at the man’s throat. The man stared up at him wide-eyed.</p><p class="Preference">“Tell Okamura-san that after last night, I’m coming for <em>him</em>!” Shiro growled as the man scrambled backward in the direction of the door.</p><p class="Preference">Movement on the far side of the room drew Ryoku’s attention away from the thug who had just moved to confront her. Two of the Yakuza had dropped their swords and drawn pistols. Rather than aiming at her, however, they pointed straight at Shiro, whose back was turned to the danger. Ryoku grabbed her opponent’s sword in midair, snapped the end off, and threw him across the room, pinning him to the wall with the broken-off sword tip, before she dove to interpose herself between the gunmen and her cousin, spinning her sword in front of herself. She landed the moment before the men opened fire, the gunshots deafening in the small space. Two more of the down Yakuza started to stir. Behind her, Shiro flinched, covering one ear with his free hand as Ryoku continued to block the barrage of gunfire. “Viperion!?” she called, not taking her eyes off of the growing number of enemies firing at them.</p><p class="Preference">“I’ve got you.” From behind her, Viperion flicked his lyre at an angle, cutting around Ryoku and arcing toward the gunmen. The lyre struck the shooter on the far right, knocking his gun aside, before hitting the next one.</p><p class="Preference">As the fire petered out, Ryoku lunged forward with a yell, sword raised. She slapped the one man still standing with the flat of her blade, but something struck her chest and she gasped. Another sweeping slash connected with two of the remaining Yakuza. A head rose up from the ground, and she kicked the man in the face – he didn’t stir again. Ryoku stopped, panting, her sword held in a death grip at a low ready position. None of the Yakuza moved. “Let’s go!” she called, rolling her shoulders. A sharp pain shot through her ribcage, and she winced.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion was at her side in a moment, his hand on her side. Examining her critically, his eyes widened slightly on looking down at her chest. Following his gaze, Ryoku found a grey smudge over her heart. She rubbed the spot, but hissed in pain. Viperion pressed one finger to the spot gently, watching her eyes. “I think you cracked a rib,” he warned her anxiously. “Are we still going to do this?”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku nodded firmly. “We can’t turn back now,” she insisted, her mouth set in a thin line. “We already started; now he knows we’re coming. We have to see this through now, or we could lose our chance.”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion squeezed her shoulder and nodded. “Ok.”</p><p class="Preference">Shiro stood at the door into the café’s main room, peering through the small window. “The café is mostly deserted, but Okamura-san is still in there!” he called. “And so is–shit.” He glanced away from the window, eyes narrowed. “They’re all here.”</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku brushed past Viperion, her gaze hardening. “We’d better not keep them waiting.” She nodded to Viperion.</p><p class="Preference">He sighed. “Second Chance!”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Second Chance!” As Viperion twisted his bracelet to begin the time loop, he grimaced. All he could do for now was watch the scenario play out. And hope that it wouldn’t take too many resets to find the best solution.</p><p>1. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion followed them through the doors at a slower pace, just in time to watch. The four Kami-gumi members stood in a loose semicircle in front of their leader, who sat calmly at a table against the wall, watching dispassionately, sipping tea. Ryoku zeroed in on the enormous man with the hammer – Kamiyama.</p><p>Kamiyama’s weapon was already in his hand, and he grinned, his eyes lighting up with excitement as Ryoku neared. “A challenge for once!” He raised the hammer above his head with both hands and brought it down into the hardwood floor, shattering it with a single blow and sending a crack across the floor at Ryoku.</p><p>Ryoku, however, was no longer there. The moment before the hammer had struck, she had leapt to one side. Landing and balancing precariously on the back of a chair, she flipped away from his follow-up strike which smashed both her chair and the table in front of it. “You’ll have to be quicker than that!” she taunted, dropping to the ground behind Kamiyama.</p><p>However, as Ryoku landed, a wind gust picked up from her side, blowing her across the room to slam into the wall. She pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head. Before she could draw a breath, a storm of shards from the smashed floor flew across the room, slamming into her and burying themselves in her unprotected face. Meanwhile, Shiro fought Kamisenshi on the other side of the room, near the table at which Okamura still sat, sipping tea and watching them impassively. Suddenly, Kamisenshi feinted to the left and slashed from the right, catching Shiro off-guard.</p><p>Furrowing his brows in contemplation, Viperion reset his bracelet.</p><p>2. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion hustled through the doors after them and watched Kamiyama strike the floor as Ryoku went airborne, pirouetting to land behind Kamiyama. Viperion scanned the room, looking for Kamikaze. As Kamikaze raised his tessen, Viperion muttered into his communicator, “Neutralize his wind… now!”</p><p>“Wind Dragon!” shouted Ryoku, swinging her sword back toward Kamikaze at the same moment that he waved his tessen. Two wind gusts blasted into each other, connecting in the center of the room between them and spreading out in opposite directions, tearing through the entire café, ripping the wall paneling and sending furniture in all directions. Viperion cringed as the air pressure in the room fluctuated wildly before the entire structure burst apart, the roof collapsing as the walls exploded outward.</p><p>Moments before a roof beam could land atop him, Viperion rewound his miraculous.</p><p>3. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion followed them into the café, watching as Ryoku fought Kamiyama. This time, as Kamikaze prepared to send a wind blast at her, Viperion called, “Brace yourself!”</p><p>Ryoku stabbed her sword into the wooden floor, crouching down to ride out a wind storm that seemed to carry on for hours. No sooner had the wind died down than she pulled her sword back, ripping a chunk out of the floor and holding it up as a makeshift shield to protect herself from a hail of spoons, several of which stabbed halfway through the hardwood.  And before Ryoku could dislodge the planks from her sword, Kamiyama slammed his hammer down into her shoulder with a sickening crunch. Her sword dropped from her slack grip. Ryoku screamed.</p><p>His hands shook as Viperion reset his miraculous this time.</p><p>4. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion watched as Shiro attacked Kamisenshi, their swords dancing around each other in a complicated pattern. Shiro held his own better this time than he had the night before, but he steadily lost ground against Kamisenshi’s speed and reflexes, pressed back against the café wall. Meanwhile, Ryoku had evaded Kamiyama’s first attack, spinning around him and striking at his unprotected back. Kamikaze flicked his tessen and at once a gust of wind whipped through the café.</p><p>“Try absorbing his air power!” Viperion called.</p><p>“Wind Dragon!” Ryoku shouted, brows furrowed in concentration. The wind died down around her.</p><p>Viperion let out a relieved breath.</p><p>A saucer launched off a table and smashed into Ryoku’s face. She gasped in shock, blood pouring from her nose.</p><p>Pursing his lips, Viperion reset Second Chance.</p><p>5. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion forced himself to breathe normally. He could do this. Clearly Ryoku could at least hold her own against Kamiyama and Kamikaze together. Where her problems seemed to arise was when Kamikangae joined the others in attacking her. So if he could keep Kamikangae occupied, perhaps Ryoku would have a chance against both Kamiyama and Kamikaze.</p><p>A new plan in place, Viperion entered the café, just in time to watch as Kamiyama approached Ryoku. “Go left now!” he shouted.</p><p>Ryoku obeyed instantly, dropping her sword and rolling away moments before Kamiyama’s hammer came down exactly where she had been kneeling moments before. The wooden floor splintered as Ryoku sprang to her feet, fists held in front of her face in a boxer’s stance. Kamiyama swung his hammer in an arc over his head and slammed it down again. Ryoku, however, evaded the hammer blow to land a solid punch to Kamiyama’s chest. Kamiyama huffed once, shaking his head, and massaged his chest with his free hand.</p><p>Behind her, Kamikangae raised his hand to shoulder height and clenched his fist. The table he stood next to began to rattle. Objects rose off the table. Viperion took aim and threw his lyre between Kamikangae and Ryoku, striking Kamikangae in the fist. The tableware fell abruptly back to the table. Kamikangae spun around to find his attacker, his lips curling into a smirk as Viperion strode further into the café. While Ryoku ducked and weaved to evade repeated attacks from Kamiyama and Kamikaze, Viperion closed the distance to Kamikangae, catching his lyre as it ricocheted off the wall.</p><p>“Do you think that you can match wits with me?” Kamikangae asked, raising an eyebrow at Viperion.</p><p>“We will see…” Viperion dropped in to a fighting stance, his lyre lying along his forearm as a shield. Kamikangae raised an eyebrow and raised both arms. Out of the corner of his eye, Viperion saw a teacup fly at his head and stepped forward–</p><p>–into the path of a teapot. Wincing, he reset his miraculous.</p><p>10. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion ran out hard on their heels, cutting between them as Ryoku moved to face Kamiyama and Shiro zeroed in on Kamisenshi.</p><p>“Move left now!” Viperion called to Ryoku as he aimed a punch at Kamikangae, who dodged away from it and flicked his wrist. Viperion dropped low and rolled backward, avoiding a hail of dished that struck the far wall, followed by a ceiling fan that would have fallen on his head. Rising to his feet he sidestepped around a flying chair and spun his lyre around one finger to block a cloud of spoons before twisting his wrist and throwing the lyre at Kamikangae. Kamikangae ducked beneath the lyre, which ricocheted off the wall behind him. He ducked again as the lyre shot at his back, only for Viperion to punch him in the gut.</p><p>Viperion let out a breath. Before he could knock Kamikangae out, however, a cry from the other side of the café drew his attention. Shiro knelt on the floor in front of Kamisenshi, cradling his wrist, his severed hand lying in front of him, still clutching the handle of his katana. Kamisenshi raised his katana and cut off Shiro’s head.</p><p>Viperion groaned and rewound his timer.</p><p>11. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion narrowed his eyes, racing out on their heels. Fighting Kamikangae on his own hadn’t worked; when he did that he couldn’t guide the rest of the fight. But if he could just neutralize Kamikangae early, they would have a chance. No sooner had he cleared the doors than he threw his lyre backhanded at a high arc, looping around Kamiyama’s bulk. One arm of the lyre embedded into the ceiling, bringing down a fine layer of dust onto Ryoku, who coughed.</p><p>“Oh, come on!” he groaned, resetting the timer just before Kamiyama could take advantage of Ryoku’s distraction.</p><p>15. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Following the others closely, Viperion threw his lyre even before he was out the door, deflecting it off of the wall behind Okamura and into the back of Kamikangae’s head. Viperion sprinted past Ryoku and Shiro, ducked under a slash from Kamisenshi, and slammed into Okamura, knocking him to the ground. The phone fell out of his hand, just as the voice on the other end announced, “We found the neighborhood where someone saw the car last night.”</p><p>“Call them off!” Viperion ordered, glaring at Okamura, planting his foot on the gangster’s throat.</p><p>The floor rumbled beneath him, knocking him to the ground, moments before a wind storm built up around him. Moments before his back slammed into the wall, Viperion reset his miraculous.</p><p>16. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion gasped on finding himself back on the ground in the back room, but he couldn’t allow the last try to distract him. He could hear the sounds of fighting in the other room, but that couldn’t be his priority right now. He had to know if the danger was real. Quickly he brought up the footage from the security cameras on his lyre. As he watched, two cars parked in front of the building and a number of men exited them, fanning out to all of the nearby apartment buildings.</p><p>“Dammit,” Viperion muttered. If they had found the apartment building, then it was only a matter of time before they might find Miki and Kimiko. There was no disengaging and coming back later: they had to finish this now. His mouth set in a thin line, he twisted his bracelet.</p><p>17. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and he watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Watch for Kamikaze,” he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro’s duel against Kamisenshi more closely. Unlike last night, Shiro seemed to be fighting better. While his movements were stiffer thanks to his injury, he moved more quickly, anticipating his opponent’s actions before he could land a blow. But then Kamisenshi flicked his wrist and slipped his blade inside Shiro’s guard, cutting halfway through Shiro’s arm.</p><p>With a grimace, Viperion reset his Second Chance.</p><p>18. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Watch for Kamikaze,” he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro’s duel against Kamisenshi more closely. Although he could keep up with Kamisenshi for the most part, he couldn’t anticipate everything. But with some help… “Block left… now!” Viperion ordered.</p><p>Shiro cocked his head in confusion, moments before an attack from Kamisenshi’s right struck Shiro, slashing into his side. Shiro fell to the ground with a moan as Kamisenshi withdrew his katana, spattering the wall with blood before turning his sword on Viperion.</p><p>Viperion flinched on feeling the spray hit his face, and reset his miraculous.</p><p>19. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Watch for Kamikaze,” he instructed her, turning away to watch Shiro’s duel against Kamisenshi more closely. He wasn’t imagining it: Shiro did seem to be fighting better, anticipating his opponent’s actions. Unfortunately, he couldn’t anticipate everything; he needed help. But he didn’t trust Viperion enough to follow his commands – not as precisely as Ryoku. If he was going to help Shiro, he would have to actually help. Kamisenshi flicked his wrist, bringing his sword up inside Shiro’s guard, and Viperion punched him in the side, moments before he had killed Shiro on the previous try. This time, however, Kamisenshi’s attack missed and he stumbled back a pace. His eyes lit up mischievously as Shiro advanced closer. Kamisenshi flicked a wakizashi out of its sheath under his robes.</p><p>“Do you like this?” he asked maliciously. “You can thank that father of yours!”</p><p>As Shiro froze, staring at the wakizashi, Kamisenshi buried it up to the hilt in his gut.</p><p>Viperion resolutely turned the dial on his miraculous, just as Kamikangae shook his head and stumbled to his feet.</p><p>24. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Watch for Kamikaze,” he instructed her, before flicking his wrist, bouncing his lyre off the ground and knocking away Kamisenshi’s next attack. Viperion turned his full attention to Shiro and Kamisenshi, adjusting his own blocks to Shiro’s fighting style. Slowly the two of them pushed Kamisenshi back across the room, toward where Okamura sat. Kamisenshi had his back against the wall. Suddenly, a scream from the far side of the room stopped Viperion’s heart. He turned just in time to watch Ryoku sail across the room, eyes wide, and slam into the wall. The scream cut off abruptly. Following her path back to the source, Kamiyama stood with his hammer over his shoulder, watching her with a triumphant look on his face.</p><p>Glaring furiously at the mountain, Viperion reset his miraculous.</p><p>25. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Watch for Kamikaze,” he instructed her, before flicking his wrist, bouncing his lyre off the ground and knocking away Kamisenshi’s next attack. Viperion and Shiro steadily pushed Kamisenshi back across the room, toward where Okamura sat. Risking a glance across the room, Viperion called, “Go water!” Ryoku obeyed just as Kamiyama swung his hammer directly at her. As she reformed behind Kamiyama, Kamikaze threw one of his tessen, striking her in the head and distracting her for a moment – just long enough for Kamiyama to turn and punch her across the room to sprawl across a table directly in front of the revived Kamikangae.</p><p>Viperion stared in horror as Kamikangae slammed a tray down on Ryoku’s face and her neck bent in the wrong direction. Taking advantage of his distraction, Kamisenshi chose that moment to body slam Viperion to the ground. His breath forced from his lungs, Viperion quickly reset his timer.</p><p>26. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. They were getting close; Viperion could feel it. He launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room.</p><p>“Take Kamikaze out of the fight,” he instructed Ryoku, before focusing on the fight with Kamisenshi, the moves of the fight fully ingrained. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ryoku battling Kamiyama, who continually blocked her attacks with the head of his hammer. Suddenly, Kamikaze was there again, shaking his head. Wind built up through the room, a tight column shooting straight toward Ryoku. Before Viperion could say anything, the wind struck her, launching her across the room, punching a hold straight through the wall and severing one of the supports.</p><p>As the building shook around them, Viperion quickly twisted his bracelet.</p><p>27. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. If removing Kamikaze from the fight hadn’t worked, what about Kamiyama? Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.</p><p>“Take out Kamiyama!” he ordered Ryoku urgently, before she could reach him. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room. A bolt of lightning split the distance between Ryoku and Kamiyama, struck his upraised hammer, and coursed through his body before finally grounding into a nearby table. Kamiyama fell to the ground senseless. Viperion joined Shiro in fighting Kamisenshi while Ryoku fought Kamikaze, neutralizing his air with her own, matching his speed. Viperion dropped to sweep Kamisenshi’s legs out from under him… and as he turned he saw Kamikangae rise to his feet and flick a knife at the back of Ryoku’s head, lodging at the base of her neck, just above where her suit ended.</p><p>With a sigh of frustration, Viperion rewound Second Chance.</p><p>28. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.</p><p>“Take out Kamiyama!” he ordered Ryoku before she could reach him. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room to fight Kamisenshi with Shiro, waiting for his moment. As he followed the steps of the fight he had already memorized, he watched Kamikangae out of the corner of his eye until he finally rose to his feet and lifted his hand. Without hesitating, Viperion threw his lyre to deflect the knife. Behind him, Shiro let out a gurgling scream.</p><p>Viperion turned to find Shiro on the ground in a puddle of blood. Staring down at the growing pool of blood, he reset the miraculous just as Kamisenshi hurled the wakizashi at him.</p><p>33. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head. The lyre returned to his hands as he reached the main room, and Viperion watched as Ryoku fought Kamiyama, dodging all of his attacks.</p><p>“Take out Kamiyama!” he ordered Ryoku, moving around Shiro to join the fight with Kamisenshi. As Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand, Viperion kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood. Without waiting to see the result, he spun around to deflect Kamisenshi’s next strike.</p><p>They were going to do it! They–</p><p>A sickening crunch from the far side of the room. He turned just in time to watch Ryoku fall to the ground senseless.</p><p>“No!” he yelled, twisting his bracelet.</p><p>34. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.</p><p>“Take out Kamiyama!” he ordered Ryoku. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room, following Shiro and fighting Kamisenshi around him. The moment Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand, Viperion kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood. Without waiting to see the result, he kicked backward to deflect Kamisenshi’s next strike and threw his lyre at Kamiyama, knocking him off balance long enough for Ryoku to evade.</p><p>Shiro gasped sharply. Viperion turned in time to watch his headless trunk fall to the ground. “Oh, dammit,” he groaned, twisting his bracelet with less than fifteen seconds to spare.</p><p>35. Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. Viperion launched his lyre through the opening just before it could close, striking Kamikangae in the back of the head.</p><p>“Take out Kamiyama!” he ordered Ryoku. The lyre returned to his hands as he entered the main room to fight Kamisenshi with Shiro. Matching Shiro’s moves, Viperion readied his lyre, blocking one of Kamisenshi’s strikes just as Kamikangae rose to his feet and lifted his hand. He kicked a table across the room to absorb the hail of wood and in the same moment threw his lyre at Kamiyama. Without waiting to see the result, he spun around to deflect Kamisenshi’s next strike.</p><p>A sickening crunch from the far side of the room. Viperion’s heart stopped. He reset his miraculous.</p><p>45. Shiro barreled through the swinging doors, katana upraised. Before Ryoku could follow him, however, Viperion grabbed her arm. She froze, staring at him in surprise that quickly turned to understanding. “How many?”</p><p>Viperion shrugged, collapsing against the wall and sliding down to the floor. Ryoku dropped to her knees next to him, taking his hands in hers. He squeezed her hands tightly, shutting his eyes. He could hear the sounds of fighting from the café beyond, could imagine what was happening to Shiro. But at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care.</p><p>Ryoku pressed her lips to his palm. “Luka,” she whispered, caressing his cheek with her hand, “how bad is it?”</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>“Do we need to pull back and regroup?”</p><p>“I – I don’t…” He swallowed hard and hit a button on his lyre to pull up the security camera footage, turning it to show her. Two cars parked in front of the building and a number of men exited them, fanning out to all of the nearby apartment buildings. “That won’t solve our problem. Okamura’s people are out looking for Shiro. They find the build while we are fighting, and the only way we can be sure to stop them is if we can take him down now. We have to cut off the head.”</p><p>“But if we can’t–”</p><p>“No! I–I think I know how we can do it,” he insisted, his fists clenching. “We can beat the Kami-gumi. I know that now; I have the right sequence, right up to the end. But <em>someone</em>’s going to get hurt. Either Shiro gets killed or you get injured. Every time. And there’s no way for me to stop it.” He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. “I can’t save both of you.”</p><p>Ryoku nodded, gulped, and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly, pressing his face against her chest. He hugged her waist fiercely. “It’s going to be okay,” she told him, placing her hand on his cheek. “I know you’ll make the right choice.”</p><p>“You’re sure?” he asked weakly.</p><p>She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I trust you with my life, my heart – my everything. I’m sorry if I ever made you think anything else.”</p><p>He nodded, letting out a breath, and covered her hand with his own. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to hers, taking in the scent of her, wishing this moment could last – the two of them together in the middle of a sea of destruction.</p><p>“I love you,” she breathed against his lips, resting her forehead against his.</p><p>Viperion nodded and closed his eyes, resetting his timer for the last time.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Ryoku barreled through the swinging doors alongside Shiro, both with their swords upraised. The tea shop’s main café room was largely deserted, the patrons all having fled at the first sign of conflict. However, five people still remained in the building, waiting for them. Kamisenshi, Kamiyama, Kamikaze, and Kamikangae all turned as one to face Ryoku and Shiro, forming a loose semicircle in front of their boss. Behind his super-powered henchmen, Okamura sat calmly at a table, sipping his tea and watching the impending fight.</p><p class="Preference">A lyre rocketed out from behind Ryoku, ricocheted off the floor and wall, and shot straight for Kamikangae, catching him in the back of the head. With a pained grunt, Kamikangae dropped to the ground as the lyre bounced away from him, deflected off of a post, and flew back to Viperion’s hand. Ryoku raised an eyebrow: for him to have mastered that level of accuracy, he must have rewound this battle a <em>lot</em>. And either that meant that this fight would go perfectly… or that he still hadn’t found the ideal outcome.</p><p class="Preference">But Ryoku couldn’t worry about that troubling possibility right now; she trusted Viperion to do his job. She would do hers. “Who wants to go?” she taunted, her grip tightening on her sword’s handle, her eyes darting back and forth between their four opponents.</p><p class="Preference">Shiro narrowed his eyes and sprinted straight toward Kamisenshi, lowering his katana and leaping immediately to the attack. “You will pay for my father!” he shouted, slashing straight at Kamisenshi’s shoulder. His opponent, however, sidestepped to evade the slash, aiming his own strike at Shiro’s exposed side. Shiro flipped his katana around to catch the slash and redirect it away from himself before punching Kamisenshi in the head. Kamisenshi ducked, stepping back from him to gain distance, placing himself between Shiro and Okamura, closer to the door.</p><p class="Preference">“Your father was an unfortunate victim of your own actions, Kamiken,” Kamisenshi retorted, sweeping his katana through the space separating them, forcing Shiro to back away a pace.</p><p class="Preference">“I am ‘Kamiken’ no longer. My father may have been a victim of my action,” Shiro acknowledged, raising his sword in a ready position, eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “But <em>you</em> still killed him!”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion hurled his lyre across the room between Shiro and Ryoku, striking the push bar door with enough force to bend the mechanism in the locked position. “You need to get Kamiyama out of the fight,” he told Ryoku without looking. The lyre bounced off the wall directly above Okamura’s head and returned to him.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku launched herself at Kamiyama. If she could remove one of her two remaining opponents from the fight right away, she could end this thing quickly. Kamiyama raised his hammer over his head, bringing it down with a bellow. Ryoku leapt out of his way, landing on her toes on the back of a chair as Kamiyama’s blow fell, only to evade again as he splintered the furniture under her. She landed behind him and shouted, “Lightning Dragon!” A flash that seared her retinas, and Kamiyama fell to the ground, twitching as the lightning coursed over his body.</p><p class="Preference">“Absorb his wind,” Viperion instructed her, flicking his lyre back to lie along his forearm, catching a strike from Kamisenshi and punching him in the shoulder. Kamisenshi narrowly avoided the punch, only to move directly into Shiro’s next strike.</p><p class="Preference">Spinning to find Kamikaze, Ryoku held her hand out, calling, “Wind Dragon,” moments before Kamikaze spun both tessen in her direction. A gust of wind built up around him before spinning toward her in a cyclone, picking up leaflets and menus scattered around the room and hurtling them into her face. But as quickly as the wind had come, it dropped away to nothing against Ryoku’s hand. She spun her sword around in a quick pinwheel, leaving shredded paper floating around them in the air. Kamikaze stared at her in shock as she kicked a piece of the smashed table at him. With only a moment to spare he flicked his hand to one side, sending an eddy of air at the wood, knocking it off course so it sailed over his shoulder and into the wall next to Okamura.</p><p class="Preference">Okamura’s eyes narrowed at that, staring at the heroes. His shoulders tensed.</p><p class="Preference">“You are on the wrong side of this,” Kamikaze called, flicking one tessen open in front of his face.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku scoffed. “That depends on whether you consider murdering families to be the <em>right</em> side!” With a yell she sprang across the distance separating them and brought her sword down on Kamikaze’s arm. He, however, dropped back, ducking under her follow-up swing and leaping over her leg sweep. Anticipating his position, she stabbed straight at his chest.</p><p class="Preference">Kamikaze pushed the blade aside with his tessen, using her energy to push himself into the air and blowing himself away from her with a breath, spinning around in midair to avoid hitting the ceiling and landing in a crouch, just outside her range. “The Yakuza help people!”</p><p class="Preference">“You have a funny way of <em>helping</em> people, if what I saw last night is any indication!”</p><p class="Preference">Viperion deflected his lyre off the floor between himself and Ryoku, sending it hurtling straight toward Shiro. At the last moment, Shiro, still engaged in dueling Kamisenshi, slid to one side to avoid a slash. Kamisenshi drew a wakizashi from his waist, slicing at Shiro’s unprotected stomach. Viperion’s lyre interposed between Shiro and the blade, turning the wakizashi aside. The lyre clattered to the floor on the other side of the room. “Block high right!” he shouted to Ryoku.</p><p class="Preference">Reflexes honed from a year of practice, Ryoku turned, automatically spinning her sword by the handle into the correct position. Almost before she was ready a hail of spoons dropped into her guard, bouncing off of her sword in all directions.</p><p class="Preference">Kamikangae pushed slowly to his feet, raising his fists and dropping into a fighting stance. Kamikaze held out his tessen, snapping one shut and pointing it at Ryoku. “You will die for your insolence – right now!” declared Kamikangae as a cloud of wood shavings rose from the ground, spinning around him in a complicated pattern. Viperion’s eyes flickered to Ryoku, and she smirked. Both heroes sprang into action simultaneously.</p><p class="Preference">Kamikangae punched, sending his wood debris straight at Ryoku. At the same moment Viperion kicked over a round table and flipped it into the air just as Ryoku charged. The table shuddered as wood splinters struck home, burying themselves into the tabletop, the longer ones penetrating the table surface entirely to protrude from the other side. With a slash Ryoku cut straight through the table before kicking one half straight at Kamikangae. The table half shuddered as Kamikangae turned his power on it, slowing it down slightly and altering its trajectory to orbit around him before hurling it across the room at Shiro. Viperion, however, kicked a chair in that direction, deflecting the table half so it clattered to the ground in front of Okamura. Ryoku’s sword flashed, and Kamikangae only barely evaded her attack, stumbling to the ground and crabwalking away from her.</p><p class="Preference">Viperion evaded one wind gust from Kamikaze, spun around another one, and punched Kamikaze in the chest. Kamikaze jumped into the air, propelling himself away from Viperion and holding himself in the air with a steady stream of air. Viperion leapt, spun around, and kicked him in the chest, throwing him across the room to slam into the wall next to Okamura, behind where Shiro and Kamisenshi continued their back-and-forth duel.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku jumped after Kamikangae, flipping her sword around to stab into his chest. However, movement from the side drew her attention. She glanced in that direction, glimpsed a steel hammer, and pulled her arms back without a second to spare. The floorboards erupted.</p><p class="Preference">Kamiyama had finally rejoined the fight.</p><p class="Preference">Ryoku landed in front of Kamiyama, sword raised to block the hammer blow he aimed at her head. A metallic clang echoed through the building, again and again as Kamiyama leveled two-handed blow after two-handed blow on her and she parried every one, shifting the hammer’s trajectory to fall on either side of her. Kamiyama steadily pressed her back. Without taking her focus off of him, Ryoku cast her gaze about the room, cataloguing possibilities. Kamikangae had risen to his feet to one side. The floor all around them had become cratered by hammer strikes. Little of the furniture around them remained undamaged. Finding a table leg with her foot, she kicked it at Kamikangae’s feet, and he stumbled backward over it.</p><p class="Preference">“Go water!” Viperion shouted.</p><p class="Preference">“Water Dragon!” Ryoku vanished into a puddle of water, moments before a wind blast caught Kamiyama full in the chest, throwing him backward. Looking around the room, Viperion had left Kamikaze alone to help Shiro, whose strength was beginning to flag under a relentless barrage of strikes overhand strikes from Kamisenshi, his movements slowed by his injury while Kamisenshi’s energy had not diminished. Viperion pushed Shiro to one side to avoid a strike that he was a moment too slow to block. With a thought, Water-Ryoku slid across the floor toward Kamikaze, rematerializing behind him and slashing at his back. Kamikaze, however, ducked and rolled forward away from her, sidestepping again as he turned in order to evade her follow-up strike. The next strike he caught with a cushion of air centimeters from his chest. Ryoku feinted a strike to the left and followed up with a right, but he avoided both attacks, moving backward away from her. Across the room, Viperion gave her a pained look before turning to grab Kamisenshi’s katana, snapping the blade in half. Finally, Ryoku caught Kamikaze in the chest with a kick, launching him backward through the wooden wall of the tea shop.</p><p class="Preference">“Duck!” The shout came the moment Ryoku kicked Kamikaze, but even so a fraction of a second too late.</p><p class="Preference">Suddenly Kamiyama was there. Ryoku tried to avoid him, but his hammer smashed down on her sword arm. She dropped the sword, screaming in pain and cradling her arm to her chest. She looked up just as Kamiyama rammed his forehead into hers. Ryoku fell to the floor as the world turned black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“No!” Viperion’s heart stopped as he watched Ryoku fall to the floor, collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut. Kamiyama stood over her, battle-rage in his eyes, and flexed his arms against the hammer in his hands. Viperion looked down at his wrist: Second Chance had ended. He had made his choice, and now he would have to live with it. There was nothing he could do for her now but end the fight as quickly as possible. Then he could worry about the consequences of his decision.</p><p>On the far side of the room, Kamikangae stumbled to his feet, shaking his head in confusion, bracing himself against the wall. Without a moment’s hesitation, Viperion spun around to build momentum and launched the shattered end of Kamisenshi’s katana across the room at Kamikangae, piercing his shoulder and pinning him to the wall behind him. Kamikangae moaned in pain as blood trailed down his arm from the injury. He fumbled to press his uninjured hand against the wound to slow the bleeding, his brows knit together in pain. Viperion’s eyes lit up with fury: the time for niceties was <em>over</em>.</p><p>Even before the katana tip had struck, Viperion had already turned back toward Kamisenshi, throwing a roundhouse kick at his head. Kamisenshi jumped away but not far enough; Viperion’s foot still caught him in the shoulder and knocked him to the floor. The moment his feet were back on the ground, Viperion stomped Kamisenshi’s wrist to break his grip on the katana handle and kicked it out of his hand before he could try using it as a weapon. Kamisenshi surged to his feet, wakizashi held out, but before he could gain his footing, Shiro rammed his knee into Kamisenshi’s chin, knocking him backward. Kamisenshi struck the back of his head against the wall and slid down to the floor. In the same motion, Shiro snatched the wakizashi out of Kamisenshi’s grip with his free hand, spinning around and crossing his blades centimeters from Okamura’s throat.</p><p>“Now we revisit your ‘offer’ of last night, <em>Oyabun</em>!” Shiro declared, glaring down at Okamura, trapped between his blades and the café wall.</p><p>Viperion turned away from Shiro the moment Kamisenshi went down, hurling his lyre at Kamiyama with a vengeance. Kamiyama still stood over Ryoku, hammer raised. Ryoku’s chest rose slightly as she drew in a ragged breath, though her eyes remained clenched shut, brows furrowed in pain. Kamiyama clenched his hammer’s handle and swung. Viperion’s lyre ricocheted off the wall behind Kamiyama and struck him in the back of the wrist. His hammer dropped to his side, barely missing landing on Ryoku’s head. Kamiyama glared at Viperion in a fury.</p><p>“You’re going to pay for that!” Viperion spat, eyes narrowed in rage.</p><p>“And what are <em>you</em> going to do, little man?” Kamiyama scoffed. “I could break you over my knee without breaking a sweat!”</p><p>“Try it.” Viperion launched himself at Kamiyama in a ferocious assault, arms outstretched. Kamiyama lifted his hammer from the ground and swung down at Viperion’s back as he came into range, but Viperion contorted himself to one side, allowing the hammer to swing past him into the destroyed floor. Catching Kamiyama around the waist in a bear hug, he drove the enormous man off-balance. Kamiyama stumbled back and swung his arms to regain his balance, but Viperion planted his feet on the ground and pushed, lifting one of Kamiyama’s feet off the floor and tipping him over backwards, sending him crashing down to the ground.</p><p>Viperion landed on Kamiyama’s chest and punched him in the face, over and over. Blind rage took control. He could still see the look of shock in Ryoku’s eyes as she had died the first time. He could still see her bruised and bleeding, pinned to the wall by shards of flying wood. He could still hear her anguished scream when Kamiyama broke her shoulder. He could still see her head bent at an odd angle, see the knife protruding from her neck, see the wall collapsing on top of her – and all of that in the last five minutes! He could still see her as Il Pirata decapitated her, as a wall fell on top of her that spring, as her head exploded when she was shot last winter. All of those deaths, all of those injuries he had undone so she couldn’t remember them. But he had witnessed all of them. He still remembered. He still saw them when he closed his eyes. He still woke up to the memory. And this time, Ryoku lay on the floor only a couple meters behind him, clinging to life. But he couldn’t undo this one. With a frenzied yell he grabbed Kamiyama’s hair and slammed his head back into the destroyed wooden floor.</p><p>Kamiyama blinked in confusion, tried to move his head, lifted his arms to fight back. Reaching behind him, Viperion’s hand closed around the handle of Kamiyama’s own hammer. Even with his miraculous-enhanced strength, he could barely lift it from the floor. The hammer head crashed to the ground next to Kamiyama’s head. The villain stared up at Viperion, eyes wide, pupils dilated in shock and fear. Viperion rolled the hammer to the side, laying the handle shaft across Kamiyama’s throat. Then he pushed down with all his might, holding it steady with both hands. Kamiyama struggled for a minute, coughing out garbled words as he scrabbled against Viperion’s arms and wrists, but his movements slowed and became feebler. Finally he collapsed, his arms dropping limply to the floor. Viperion pressed two fingers to the man’s throat: his pulse was weak but present.</p><p>For the first time in hours, the tea shop was still.</p><p>“Do it!” Okamura hissed on the other side of the shop, glaring up at Shiro through slitted eyes. “It won’t change anything!”</p><p>“No,” Shiro agreed, tightening his grip on his swords’ handles. “My father is still dead. Because of you.”</p><p>“Then end it already.”</p><p>Shiro drew the blades together, pricking Okamura and tracing thin lines of blood along either side of his neck. Then he hesitated. His arms shook from the tension of holding the blades steady. “No.” Shiro withdrew his swords, wiping the katana’s blade and sheathing it before adjusting his grip on the wakizashi. “Father would not want me to become a murderer.” Wailing police sirens approached on the street. “Instead, you are going to answer for your crimes.”</p><p>Viperion set his jaw firmly and turned to Ryoku, who still hadn’t moved. Carefully he slipped his arms under her shoulders and knees, scooping her up into his arms, resting her broken arm on her chest and cradling her lolling head against his shoulder. Shiro still hadn’t taken his eyes off of Okamura, who remained motionless in his chair. Without another word, Viperion sprinted through the shop’s front door, running past a group of surprised police officers standing on the sidewalk.</p><p>Where was the closest hospital? He hadn’t thought to look before they started – or even during their fight. Viperion hesitated, turning in either direction – he should have taken the time to find out during a Second Chance. His jaw clenched and he hugged Ryoku tighter: yet another regret, another mistake he had made. A helicopter cut across the sky overhead, and he looked up just in time to make out the red-and-white coloration of an ambulance helicopter. Looking in the direction of its flight, he found what he was looking for: a hospital sign off in the distance. His grip tightened, holding Ryoku close to his chest as he took off at a dead sprint toward that sign. The scenery whipped past him faster than he could take it in, all his attention on the girl in his arms and the hospital in front of him. Taking the intersection in front of him without breaking stride or slowing down, he ignored the car horns that rang out behind him. The hospital was less than a kilometer away now. Now less than a quarter of a kilometer. Viperion raced across the parking lot, eyes trained on the emergency room entrance. All he could think about was getting Kagami the help she needed.</p><p>
  <em>Wait.</em>
</p><p>“Sass, scales rest,” he whispered, ducking behind a car as the light of his transformation washed over him and Sass appeared next to his head. Shifting his grip on Ryoku, he reached behind her neck and found the clasp of her choker. Her transformation dissolved as he removed her miraculous and Longg emerged from the gem on the front of it.</p><p>“What happened?” Longg demanded, blinking in confusion. He froze, staring at Kagami in shock. “Kagami…”</p><p>“Not now,” Luka retorted curtly. “Hide.” Even before the Kwamis had disappeared into his pockets, he was back up and running toward the hospital. Though her weight hadn’t changed, he felt every kilogram of it now that he no longer had his miraculous-enhanced strength on his side.</p><p>The hospital doors slid apart automatically as he reached them. “T–Tasukete!” he gasped the moment he was inside. “Please!”</p><p>A nurse rushed over, a serious look in her eyes. “Nani ga ah tan desu ka?” she demanded, her eyes immediately drifting down to Kagami’s arm, which rested at an odd angle.</p><p>“I–I–” He swallowed back bile, forcing himself to speak clearly. He couldn’t think – not in Japanese, at least. “She got hit – in the head. Her–her arm–”</p><p>The nurse nodded curtly as an orderly appeared with a gurney. “Place her here, please,” the nurse instructed him. No sooner had he laid her on the gurney than two orderlies pushed her through another door. The door slid shut behind them, and Luka saw her no more. Hardly aware of what was happening, he allowed the nurse to guide him over to the desk and place a clipboard in his hands. “Please fill this out, sir.”</p><p>Luka grabbed the clipboard and stumbled over to a chair in the waiting area. All of his energy had drained. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Surreptitiously, Sass and Longg phased out of his pockets and sat down in his lap, hidden by the clipboard. Longg removed the choker from Luka’s limp grip and gently affixed it onto his wrist opposite the Snake Miraculous. Sass patted Luka’s hand consolingly. Finally the two Kwamis massaged his palms, trying to draw his attention back to his surroundings, though Luka paid them no heed.</p><p>Only one thought ran through his mind.</p><p>Would she be okay?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Kagami’s first sensation was pain on the periphery of her consciousness. Her head throbbed, her senses felt dull. The pillow under her head was flat and lumpy. Her eyelids refused to respond. Her right arm would not move. She could feel some sort of pressure on her left hand. Her legs were still there, but everything felt sluggish. The only motion available to her was to squeeze her hand. The pressure on her hand increased slightly. Something metallic scraped against the tiled floor. Her head shifted slightly as the bed on which she lay depressed.</p><p class="Preference">“Kagami? Babe?”</p><p class="Preference">With an effort, she forced her eyes open to find Luka staring down at her, a worried look on his face. He sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief as he ran his fingers through her hair. “You’re awake.”</p><p class="Preference">She looked up at him, blinking in confusion. The hospital room’s overhead lights were off, but the single fluorescent light directly above her bed almost blinded her. She winced, pinching her eyes shut. Presently the light disappeared. All the same, a niggling pain blossomed behind her eyes. Her mouth was so dry… As if reading her thoughts, Luka held up a cup and placed the straw between her lips. Kagami took a tentative sip of the cool water and swished it around in her mouth. With a groan she swallowed heavily and drew in a little more water. “Thanks… I–”</p><p class="Preference">Luka put his hand on her uninjured shoulder and squeezed gently. “Don’t talk too much,” he warned her, his eyes full of concern. “You had a concussion – they said you were only unconscious for about ten minutes, but since then you’ve been asleep for almost a whole day. Kamiyama had a head of steel.” Kagami furrowed her brows at him. “–Not literally,” he added, grimacing. “But the police had some trouble with him all the same.”</p><p class="Preference">She slumped back onto the bed, closing her eyes, letting out a breath as the events of the fight came rushing back to her. Despite the pain medication, she could still feel tiny stabs of pain in her injured arm. The longer she thought about it, the more pronounced it became. She couldn’t just allow the pain to sweep her away – “What happened?”</p><p class="Preference">Luka exhaled heavily. “You got hurt. I–” He fell silent, sniffling. “I thought I was going to lose you.” Kagami fumbled around on the bed to find his hand. He choked back a sniff, clutching her hand tightly. “I tried, <em>so hard</em>, to get everyone out safely,” he whispered, clenching his other hand and squeezing his eyes shut. “But I couldn’t find a way. I could get us most of the way there, but I just couldn’t hit the cadence. Either you got hurt or Shiro got killed. I… I had to make a choice.”</p><p class="Preference">Her heart sank, her mouth falling open in fear. “Shiro…”</p><p class="Preference">“He’s okay,” Luka quickly assured her. “He and Miki and Kimiko – the family is safe. They’re still at your dad’s apartment, just in case.” He paused, his shoulders slumping. “That was my choice: I saved him instead of you. I–” He swallowed, looking down at the bed sheets. “If I hadn’t, he would have died. But you wouldn’t have been hurt.”</p><p class="Preference">Slowly, cautiously, Kagami brought Luka’s hand to her lips, kissed it, and held it to her cheek. He looked at her in surprise. “I forgive you,” she murmured, kissing the inside of his wrist. “I love you.” She sniffled, meeting his gaze with tears in her eyes. “I trust you with my life, with my heart – with everything.”</p><p class="Preference">He leaned forward most of the way out of his seat, gently placing his arms on either side of her and pulling her into an awkward hug. “I love you, too,” he whispered, his breath soft against her ear. He chuckled humorlessly. “You know, that’s the last thing you said to me before… this. I–I was afraid it would be the last thing you <em>ever</em> said to me,” he admitted.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami smiled tenderly. “I hope it is,” she replied softly. “But I hope that’s not for a long time.” She fell silent, sighing. Luka sat back, his grip on her hand firm but gentle, staring at her. Kagami closed her eyes, trying to relax. Her head still ached so badly. Rather than try to sleep again, she asked, “Then what happened… after? With the fight?”</p><p class="Preference">Luka sighed heavily. “The police arrived as I was leaving with you. Shiro captured Okamura, and the police took him into custody. But before they could interrogate him or anything the Yakuza managed to get to him. He’s dead. No leads on who did it – Shiro thinks the Yakuza were cleaning house – they must have had someone in the police for it to happen so quickly. Kamiyama they also captured – he’s in protective custody since Okamura’s murder. I got Kamikangae in the shoulder, so he was at this hospital yesterday, though they released him to the police already. Both of them will be going away for a long time… once they figure out how to hold them.”</p><p class="Preference">“And the other two?”</p><p class="Preference">“Kamisenshi managed to escape,” Luka confessed bitterly. “After you got hurt, Shiro was so focused on Okamura, and I was so focused on the other two that he was able to slip away. Same with Kamikaze. No one saw him again after you threw him through that wall.”</p><p class="Preference">“Damn.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka shrugged. “They didn’t arrest Shiro, at least,” he told her. “They took him into custody, but I called Ladybug after I knew you would be okay, and she promised to take care of it. Apparently that meant letting <em>Chloe</em> take care of it – I’m pretty sure she was ready to eat that police captain for breakfast by the time she was done with him!” He chuckled. “Something about ‘doing his men’s jobs for them’ and ‘I’d like to see <em>you</em> fight someone who can move things with his mind!’ Between the rage and the language barrier, I don’t know if he understood more than the general sense of what she said. But it was enough. They let Shiro go yesterday without more than a cursory questioning.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami nodded in relief. “Good.”</p><p class="Preference">The door opened, and Luka sat back to make space as a nurse bustled around Kagami, made a note of the vital signs on her monitor, checked her pulse, and waved a light in front of her eyes quickly. “Good,” the nurse muttered to herself. “Vital signs are normal, and your pupils are reacting well. It appears as though your concussion has abated some,” she explained. “How is the pain level?”</p><p class="Preference">“Manageable,” Kagami replied. “My arm feels strange, though.”</p><p class="Preference">“That is not unexpected,” explained the nurse, nodding. “They gave you some pretty powerful medications yesterday; it may take a little for them to work out of your system. If you do need pain medications, you will have to avoid aspirin, or any anti-inflammatory medicines because of the concussion – we’ll give you a list of options when you leave. But now I just have a few questions to test your memory. Can you give me your name and date of birth?”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami coughed, furrowing her brows. “Um… Tsurugi Kagami, November 20, 2002.”</p><p class="Preference">The nurse cocked her head in confusion. “I… see…” She looked closer at her notes and pursed her lips. “I suppose some memory loss isn’t unheard of, though perhaps your concussion was more severe than expected.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami stared at the nurse and blinked, her brows knitting together. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luka grimace. <em>Oh.</em> “Um… that must be it?”</p><p class="Preference">“Hopefully your memory will return soon enough,” the nurse consoled her. “As it is, you’re lucky you weren’t injured any worse! Most people who get hit by a car come out of it with a lot more bumps and bruises than you.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami hummed in acknowledgement. “I was lucky.”</p><p class="Preference">“Your husband’s quick thinking probably saved you from the worst of it,” the nurse went on. Kagami raised an eyebrow and glanced at Luka to see him flushing in embarrassment behind the nurse’s back. “That, more than anything, saved you any worse aftereffects from the concussion. The memory loss is concerning, of course, but hopefully your long-term memory will return in time as the concussion heals. In the meantime, you may experience headaches and dizziness, and you need to rest your eyes more for the next few days, so avoid bright lights. But you should make a full recovery.”</p><p class="Preference">“Of course,” Kagami agreed, giving Luka a sidelong glance. “I am quite grateful to my <em>husband</em> for watching out for me.”</p><p class="Preference">“Well.” The nurse gave her a small smile. “I will leave you two alone.”</p><p class="Preference">Once the door closed, Kagami arched an eyebrow at Luka, who flushed. “I… may have told them we were married so they would let me stay here with you until you woke.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami felt heat rise in her cheeks. She coughed weakly and took another long sip of water. “Not that I would object to the idea,” she began, “but they bought that?”</p><p class="Preference">He shrugged. “We didn’t have our IDs on us or anything to contradict it – and I was ‘too distraught’ to try to track them down… not that I could have, since we were ‘mugged’.” He frowned. “As it is, Shiro is still trying to convince the police to release our passports to him so we can leave eventually. The house is still sort-of a crime scene.”</p><p class="Preference">“Did you give them our real names?”</p><p class="Preference">He gave her a dubious look. “Of course not,” he replied. “Too much risk of someone connecting your injury to Ryoku’s injury.” He shook his head ruefully. “Sass and I talked it over, and we told your mother and aunt that you’d been in an accident two nights ago – to explain why we weren’t at the house that night as well as your broken arm.” He grimaced. “On that note, their system might also have a… <em>small</em>… electrical storm. Exactly enough to erase you from the system. Once you are discharged.”</p><p class="Preference">She let out a giggle that turned into a wince and a cough as her head moved. Reflexively she pulled her hand out of his, raising it to her forehead and rubbing her temples. “Oh…” she groaned, dropping her hand down to her throat, looking for the familiar presence of her miraculous, to find nothing there but the locket that Luka had given her for Christmas. She froze, eyes wide, staring at Luka in fear. “Where–?”</p><p class="Preference">“Right here,” he assured her, pointing to the bright green double-wound bracelet around his wrist. Quickly he removed it and clasped it around her throat as she lifted her head off the pillow, wincing at the exertion. The moment it was back on, the choker returned to its customary red. She sighed in relief and sank back into the bed, closing her eyes. “I needed you to de-transform, and I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get lost or misplaced or anything.”</p><p class="Preference">Longg emerged from inside her pillowcase and clasped his paws together in a bow before hugging Kagami’s cheek. “I am gratified to see you awake and whole once more, Kagami-san.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami sighed and nodded slowly to avoid exacerbating her headache. Raising her hand to cup around the Kwami, she looked up at Luka and smiled. “I am, also.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The birth date is the one (possibly) revealed by the show (or an Instagram post by “Marinette”); the year is to fit it into this being the end of 2020 in the “Mind Games”-verse.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">
  <em>As if in slow motion, Viperion watched in horror as Ryoku fell over backward, her head caved in from the hammer blow. Blood poured out, more than any human body could possibly hold, all the same color as her suit, staining it crimson. He fell down at her side and slapped her cheeks, staring into her sightless eyes.</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>“No…”</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>He looked down at his wrist. Second Chance was inactive.</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>“No no no…”</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>Kamiyama loomed over them, a malicious look in his eyes, brain matter coating the head of his hammer. Then before Viperion’s eyes he transformed into Night Bat, his hammer morphing into a sword, and stabbed Ryoku in the gut. “Save her from this,” he hissed viciously.</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>Viperion desperately twisted his miraculous to activate Second Chance, but no matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t go back far enough to stop Ryoku’s death.</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>And then the figure in front of him shifted into Il Pirata. Again Viperion stared as the villain cut Ryoku’s head clean off, sending it sailing across the fog-covered yard as her headless stump began to de-transform. Only this time he could not undo it, he could not fix it.</em>
</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>“No!”</em>
</p><p class="Preference">Luka’s eyes shot wide open, flitting around the unfamiliar room in a panic. He felt a pressure on his lungs, something was tickling his chest, a damp spot on his sternum! He – <em>oh</em>. It was Kagami. Breathing evenly. Sound asleep, her unbroken arm wrapped around his chest, her head resting over his heart. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her to himself securely, her cast cradled between their chests, taking comfort in her presence. She was still alive. She was healing.</p><p class="Preference">It had been four days since the fight. Kagami had spent the last three days in the hospital before the doctor was satisfied that her concussion had healed enough to be released. Her arm was beginning to heal, though she still had a cast immobilized against her chest. Their original flight home was supposed to be the day before, but the doctor had warned against flying too quickly after a concussion. Instead, Luka had rented them a hotel room a few kilometers away from her father’s old apartment building where Kagami’s aunt and cousins were still staying and brought Kagami there. Thanks to Kagami’s injury they had missed Eiji’s wake last night, but they would still attend the funeral today; tomorrow they were going to return to Paris.</p><p class="Preference">Unfortunately, Kagami hadn’t been able to see <em>all</em> the clients she was supposed to meet on this trip, but that was perfectly fine. Kagami’s health was all he cared about right now. Sitting in the hospital and watching her sleep, he had called the Tsurugi office to explain, and both clients had accepted Kagami’s injury as a reason they couldn’t meet. And if meeting with the last two Japanese clients was really that important, Tomoe could just send Kagami back again some other time when she <em>wasn’t</em> nursing a broken arm and a concussion.</p><p class="Preference">He glanced over at the bright green numbers on the alarm clock. Four in the morning. He would have to wake up in another couple hours so they could get ready. His head fell back onto the pillow, and he groaned.</p><p class="Preference">“Having trouble sssleeping?” Sass asked, his soft whisper sounding unnaturally loud in the silent room. The Kwami glided across the pillow to hover right above Luka.</p><p class="Preference">Luka frowned. “You can say that,” he agreed.</p><p class="Preference">“Ssstill the sssame dreamsss?”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded. “Or variations on the same theme.” He sighed heavily. “I don’t know if I can take them anymore.”</p><p class="Preference">Sass hummed. “Thisss isss a difficult burden to bear,” he admitted. “Not many have the ssstrength to watch all posssible outcomesss – even knowing that any missstake can be corrected. It can be enough to drive one mad.” The Kwami patted Luka on the cheek. “You are a good Sssnake, Luka. You have borne thisss power well for the passst two yearsss.”</p><p class="Preference">“Sometimes it’s easier than others,” he whispered, looking down at Kagami, tracing his finger along her arm, stopping at the edge of her cast. “I don’t <em>like</em> watching the others get hurt… but it’s so different with her.”</p><p class="Preference">“She trusts you completely,” interjected Longg, appearing from the other side of the bed. “And she knows how much you trust her. That is why you are such a strong team, why you work together so fluidly, Luka-san.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka stared at his hands. She trusted him… but could he trust himself?</p><p class="Preference">“I know you are quessstioning yourssself after lassst week,” Sass told him, patting his cheek gently. “You doubt that you can continue to ussse my miraculousss. That isss normal for a Sssnake.”</p><p class="Preference">“What if I made the wrong choice?”</p><p class="Preference">“Your question assumes that there was a <em>right</em> choice,” Longg pointed out. “Some problems have no good solution. But Kagami would have accepted your decision, whatever you chose.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded. “I know.” He sighed heavily. “But I don’t know if <em>I</em> wanted to accept it.”</p><p class="Preference">Sass hesitated, his brows knit together in concern. “… Do you wish to relinquish my miraculousss?”</p><p class="Preference">“I…” Luka hesitated. Did he? He finally shook his head. “No. I don’t want to relinquish you. I know this is important. I know this is how I can keep the people I love safe. I just…” He ran his fingers through Kagami’s hair, and she sighed in her sleep, snuggling into his shoulder.</p><p class="Preference">“You both survived,” Longg reminded him. “Kagami survived. Thanks to you. That is not something I take lightly.” His shoulders slumped. “I have lost enough holders over the years to be grateful to you for that. I am glad that the two of you have this level of trust.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka patted the Kwami’s head. “Thanks, Longg… I promise I don’t take it for granted. Any of it.” He fell silent, closing his eyes. Maybe he could be grateful for what he had. All three of them had survived the fight. They had stopped the Yakuza – or at least that clan. They had captured two of the Kami-gumi. Kagami was safe. She would heal in time. Her family seemed to be out of danger for the moment. Maybe that could be enough.</p><p class="Preference">It was a few hours later when he finally opened his eyes again to find the sun streaming through the window. Kagami had shifted in her sleep, her cast sticking to his chest, her head fitted into his shoulder, her breath tickling his cheek. He twisted his head to press his lips to her forehead, and she hummed in her sleep. His stomach rumbled. He would have to get up eventually if they were going to have coffee or tea – or breakfast. And according to the alarm clock Eiji’s funeral was in only an hour. Carefully he peeled her cast off his chest – the pattern of the cast left an impression behind in his bare skin – and slid away from her before laying her arm back down. He sat up on the edge of the bed.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami’s eyes opened wide, and she stared up at him.</p><p class="Preference">“I’m sorry,” he apologized, resting his hand on hers. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”</p><p class="Preference">“I was already awake,” she replied, sitting up and shifting to sit next to him, leaning into his side, cradling her broken arm against her chest. “I was just thinking.”</p><p class="Preference">He raised an eyebrow as an invitation for her to continue.</p><p class="Preference">She sighed, placing her head on his shoulder. “Even after everything that happened… I’m glad I was here,” she told him. “And I’m even gladder that <em>you</em> were here with me. I–I don’t think I could have handled any of this alone.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, resting his chin in her hair. “I’m glad I was here with you, too.” They sat like that for several minutes, until Luka’s breathing had slowed and relaxed. Finally he gave her a gentle squeeze and pressed another kiss to her forehead. “Tea?” he asked her.</p><p class="Preference">“Please.” She shivered. “But first, could you help me dress?”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded and carefully helped her change out of her sleeping pants into leggings and a black skirt before helping her get her arms through the sleeves of a black long-sleeved blouse. Then, while they waited for their room service breakfast to arrive, he sat on the bed, pulled her onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest, listening to her heart. The song that had been playing in his heart for so long, so sweet and delicate, with just a hint of vulnerability that she would never show to the rest of the world, continued to sound through, just as clearly as it always had.</p><p class="Preference">Maybe she had gotten hurt. But she was alive. They were together. Maybe that was enough.</p><hr/><p>“Where is my daughter!?”</p><p class="Preference">Luka sighed and turned around on hearing the familiar voice, shivering a little in the cold, standing outside the Buddhist temple where Eiji’s funeral was to take place. Since the Yakuza had killed Okamura, they didn’t expect them to come after Shiro and his family again, but they couldn’t be sure. And since he wasn’t really family, he could wait outside to watch without drawing undue attention.</p><p class="Preference">He should have known he’d have to face her sooner or later…</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe Tsurugi stood in front of him, a severe expression on her face, her mouth set in a thin line. She held her cane in a white-knuckled grip, the end planted on the ground. And despite her blindness and dark glasses, Luka could swear that she was glaring at him. “She is inside with the rest of the family, Kagami’s mother,” he told her as calmly as he could.</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe’s nostrils flared. “Very well. I am bringing her home the moment this is over.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka cocked his head. “But the doctor said that she can’t travel until tomorrow night at the earliest,” he objected. “He said with her concussion it wouldn’t be safe.”</p><p class="Preference">“That does not matter,” Tomoe replied sharply. “She was injured here on this trip, and I am going to ensure she heals properly. At home.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m taking care of her,” Luka assured her.</p><p class="Preference">“Like you took care of her five days ago?” demanded Tomoe.</p><p class="Preference">Luka glared at her. “I protected her! I got her medical care!”</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe harrumphed. “After this, I am not allowing you anywhere near her again! <em>I</em> am bringing her home, and that is final.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka pursed his lips. “Well that really isn’t up to you, is it?”</p><p class="Preference">She froze. “What?”</p><p class="Preference">“Kagami’s contract,” he reminded her, folding his arms. “You agreed not to interfere with her social life. So it is up to Kagami whether she returns with you or follows the doctor’s orders to stay another full day.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka didn’t turn around on hearing footsteps behind him. “What on earth is going on out here!?” demanded Kagami, stopping on the steps directly behind him. She gasped. “Mother?”</p><p class="Preference">“I’ve been here for two days already without your Obasan knowing where you were, and that’s all the greeting I receive?”</p><p class="Preference">“I apologize, Mother,” Kagami replied, dipping her head obediently. “With everything that happened, we thought it would be safer to avoid communicating more than necessary. I meant no disrespect.”</p><p class="Preference">“Very well.” Tomoe’s mouth set in a thin line. “However, after the funeral we are flying home tonight.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami frowned. “But Luka and I already changed our tickets to tomorrow,” she told her. “The doctor–”</p><p class="Preference">“Yes, Luka told me all about that doctor,” Tomoe interrupted. “But I am your mother. I know what’s best for you. The two of us are leaving – the sooner we are back in Paris, the sooner we can put these Yakuza behind us.”</p><p class="Preference">“But Luka–”</p><p class="Preference">“–can stay as long as he wishes. We are leaving one way or the other.”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami exchanged a look with Luka, whose mouth turned down in worry. If her mother was going to insist…</p><p class="Preference">“No.” Kagami’s voice dropped to an ominous level. She placed her hand on Luka’s shoulder. “You can return tonight if you wish, but I’m staying. We’re going to stay as long as the doctor says we have to.”</p><p class="Preference">“But if you have complications…”</p><p class="Preference">“Mother,” Kagami began, “Luka has taken good care of me. Believe me when I tell you that I am only alive right now because of him. I trust him to keep me safe.”</p><p class="Preference">“You would trust this boy and not your own mother?”</p><p class="Preference">Kagami’s grip on his shoulder tightened, and he covered her hand with his own. “Yes, I do,” she replied firmly. “I trust him, and I trust the doctors.”</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe sighed heavily.</p><p class="Preference">Luka’s eyes widened in realization. He could hear the strains of music warring in her heart. “You were scared.” The strain lines around Tomoe’s mouth deepened. “You’re frightened and confused and grieving. You’re afraid for Kagami and want to know that she’s safe.”</p><p class="Preference">“How can you presume?” Tomoe demanded, her nostrils flaring.</p><p class="Preference">“It’s what he does,” Kagami answered, pride in her voice.</p><p class="Preference">“Believe me, I know what you’re feeling – I felt the same when she was injured.” Luka took a breath. “I promise you, I will always keep Kagami safe. I will always watch out for her – as much as she needs me to,” he added, giving Kagami a sheepish grin.</p><p class="Preference">Kagami smiled back.</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe fell silent, all her attention focused on him. “Swear it to me,” she told Luka sharply. “Swear that you will protect her.”</p><p class="Preference">Luka nodded, his grip on Kagami’s hand tightening. “Always.”</p><p class="Preference">Tomoe finally nodded. “Very well. I suppose in that case you may call me ‘Mother’.” She cocked her head, listening intently. “They are beginning. We should enter.” Kagami let out a relieved breath and went to follow Tomoe inside. Luka paused, watching them enter. Tomoe stopped in the doorway. “Well?”</p><p class="Preference">“Isn’t this just for family?” Luka asked.</p><p class="Preference">“It is,” confirmed Tomoe. She paused. “And I have decided that you are now family.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Seriously, bro. If you ever get my sister hurt again and you don’t call me, I <em>will</em> kick your ass!”</p><p>Kagami raised an eyebrow at Juleka on the video call. Beside her Luka grimaced, running a hand through his hair. “Oh, you will?” Kagami asked, smirking in amusement and leaning into Luka’s side on their hotel room bed. Their flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until the evening, so they were staying at the hotel until they would have to check out, when they would go to visit her aunt and cousins.</p><p>Juleka shrugged, quirking an eyebrow at her. “I’ve been paying attention.” She eyed Kagami. “What, are you going to stop me?”</p><p>Kagami placed her uninjured hand on Luka’s chest. “I mean, I kind of like your brother, you know…”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry: there won’t be any <em>permanent</em> damage…” Juleka promised ominously. She turned her death-glare on Luka again. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”</p><p>“I really wanted to,” Luka told her, “but with the timing of–”</p><p>“I don’t care!” Juleka huffed. “Anytime you call, I <em>will</em>–”</p><p>“–‘<em>You</em>’ will?” interjected Rose, sticking her head in the video and pursing her lips at Juleka.</p><p>“–‘<em>We</em>’ will be there,” Juleka amended. “As fast as Pegasus can open a portal.”</p><p>“I didn’t realize we might need the help until it was too late,” Luka protested, holding up his hands. “We thought we could handle it with just the three of us; if it had just been Okamura and a bunch of regular guys, we <em>could</em> have taken care of it. The only reason we had any trouble was because the Kami-gumi were there, too. And by the time we knew that, it was too late to call for backup. Do you really think you could have gotten to Pegasus and gotten here in less than five minutes?”</p><p>“I guess now we’ll never know,” Juleka retorted. Rose placed her hand on Juleka’s shoulder, squeezing it consolingly.</p><p>“I’m okay, Jules,” Kagami told her gently, wrapping her arm around Luka’s waist. “Really. Luka got us out of there in one piece.”</p><p>“Your arm’s still in two pieces,” Juleka pointed out dubiously. She sighed heavily, her eyes softening. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”</p><p>Luka nodded fervently. “Me, too. We’ll see you tomorrow – or in two days, as it were.”</p><p>“Love you guys!” Rose waved as the call ended.</p><p>Luka let out a breath and slid his phone back into his pocket, lying back on the bed and pulling Kagami down next to him. She rolled onto her side, her cast pinned between them, still immobilized against her chest. Longg flew across the room from the dresser and curled around her bicep, just above the fracture. He had assured her that her miraculous would accelerate the healing process slightly, though he hadn’t given any indication of just <em>how</em> much faster it might happen. Marinette had offered to try healing it entirely with Miraculous Ladybug, but Kagami had told her rejected it: her family already knew about the injury, so it would look suspicious if Ladybug actually healed it for her. As it was, Rena Rouge would use Mirages to show Ryoku on patrol in Paris while Kagami recovered in order to prevent anyone from connecting their injuries.</p><p>That didn’t exactly make up for the pins-and-needles sensation of her bone healing, but…</p><p>Luka chuckled quietly. “You know, when I introduced Ryoku and Bengalia last year, I wasn’t expecting this…”</p><p>Kagami smiled and kissed his cheek. “You didn’t expect us to get along?”</p><p>“Get along, yes,” he replied, “though maybe not this well. But I mean <em>this</em>. The two of you getting along like sisters.”</p><p>She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bad thing?”</p><p>“Definitely not,” he assured her, pressing his lips against her forehead.</p><p>She hummed. “I never had a sister, so I guess I can’t say I know what it’s like – aside from friends like Juleka and Rose and Marinette.”</p><p>“I’m glad Mom and Juleka like you so much,” Luka commented, shifting his arm so her head could rest on his shoulder.</p><p>Three hours later, after they had packed their few possessions – most of what they had brought was still in police impound as evidence, and Luka had only purchased enough clothing and toiletries to see them through the rest of the trip – they checked out of their hotel room and caught a taxi to an apartment building on the far side of the city. Kagami leaned into Luka’s side, rubbing her wrist absently. “Thank you for taking care of everything,” she whispered.</p><p>He gave her a small smile and hugged her shoulders. “It’s the least I could do,” he replied as they stepped out of the car and he collected their bag. “After your uncle…” She tensed. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>She shook her head. “No… it’s okay.”</p><p>Luka led the way inside and up the elevator to an apartment near the middle of the building. As they stepped out, Kagami glanced up to see a small security camera set into a corner of the ceiling with a view of both the stairs and the elevator. Another camera on the far end of the hallway covered the emergency stairs. Seeing where she was looking, Luka quietly explained, “There are a couple more watching the exterior. Shiro has the code for them.”</p><p>Kagami nodded and knocked twice on the correct apartment. The door opened a moment later, and her Obasan pulled her into a hug, pinning her arm between them and dragging her inside. The apartment itself was sparsely furnished, with only a handful of personal effects from Kimiko’s apartment. A painting on the wall showed Ojisan, Obasan, Kimiko, and Shiro standing in front of the Skytree. On the opposite wall was another painting with just Kimiko and Ojisan. Kagami clenched her jaw and hugged Obasan tighter. Luka followed them inside and quietly shut the door. Kimiko and Shiro looked up from their positions sitting on the couch.</p><p>“I am so glad to see you both before you leave,” Obasan told her, gesturing toward the couch. Kagami took a seat between her cousins while Luka pulled out a chair from the small kitchen table. “After everything that happened… family is important. I… I don’t know where we would be, were it not for you and your friend in Paris.”</p><p>“Happy to help,” Luka assured her, smiling. Once they had explained to Ladybug what they needed, Pegasus had opened a new account from which Luka had rented the apartment. Luka hadn’t told her where the money for the account had come from, but she had her suspicions.</p><p>“My roommate wasn’t too happy about me moving out,” Kimiko noted, frowning. She looked at Obasan. “But under the circumstances, I… think I need to be here. Oh!” She jumped up and raced out of the room. A couple minutes later she returned with a poster tube and handed it to Luka. “I needed something to do the other day, so…”</p><p>Luka unrolled the poster and his eyes widened. He turned it around to show Kagami a hand-painted poster showing the two of them, with Luka playing the guitar while she watched. “Thank you,” he told her earnestly.</p><p>Kimiko sighed. “I wish… I wish the circumstances were different. But it was good meeting you.”</p><p>“Likewise.”</p><p>“We were lucky that the Heroes of Paris happened to be in town last week,” Obasan began slowly. “I don’t know what would have happened otherwise.”</p><p>Kagami eyed her calmly. “That was very lucky, wasn’t it?”</p><p>Kimiko frowned. “Pity they couldn’t stop you getting hurt, cousin.” Her shoulders slumped. “Or save Father.”</p><p>Luka shrugged, his eyes drifting from Kagami to Shiro and back. “I’m sure they did the best they could.”</p><p>Shiro gave them an evaluating look and glanced at the clock. “May I drop you off at the airport?” he asked.</p><hr/><p>As they walked through Narita International Airport, Kagami leaned into Luka’s side, allowing him to support more of her weight with his arm around her shoulders, dragging their small suitcase behind him with his other hand. Long was curled up on her arm inside the sling, a quiet, comforting presence. Shiro walked a little distance apart from them, though he hadn’t said anything since they left.</p><p>Finally, just outside the security gate, Kagami turned to her cousin and broke the silence. “Thanks for coming with us,” she told him.</p><p>He nodded quietly, his mouth working as though trying to say something.</p><p>“I–I’m sorry about Ojisan.”</p><p>Shiro’s shoulders drooped and he looked down at the floor, a firm set to his mouth. “Yeah,” he finally whispered. “I am, too.”</p><p>Kagami shrugged Luka’s arm off her shoulder and crossed the space between them, hugging Shiro with her good arm. Shiro stiffened but slowly placed his hand on her back. Moments later, she felt Luka wrap his arms around them both. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know,” she told Shiro, squeezing gently.</p><p>He nodded and released her. “Thanks.” He chuckled humorlessly. “You’ve done more than enough already.”</p><p>Kagami furrowed her brows in confusion. “What are you going to do now?”</p><p>Shiro shrugged. “The business is gone. The Yakuza swept in and took it over last week – before Father was even buried,” he added bitterly. “Our reputation is in shambles. All that’s left for me now is Mother and Kimiko.” His eyes took on a hard look. “And the Yakuza. I <em>will</em> take them down once and for all after this.”</p><p>Beside her, Luka raised an eyebrow in concern. Kagami looked up at him, and he nodded, his face relaxing. She let out a breath and squeezed Shiro’s shoulder. “If you need anything, call me.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he whispered. He raised an eyebrow. “And not just for that offer; thank you <em>both</em> for helping me after… Father. I–I know what it cost.”</p><p>Luka’s breath caught in his throat. “I… have no idea what you mean.”</p><p>Shiro stared hard at Luka. “I know.”</p><p>Kagami quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “You know?”</p><p>He nodded. “I suspected it after that first day – when we sparred, a couple of your moves felt too familiar. You were far too greatly affected by it to be some random person off the street. And your story about just happening to both be out of the house was a little too convenient. <em>And</em> the fact that two Heroes of Paris just <em>happened</em> to rescue me when I knew of two Parisians who just <em>happened</em> to be in town at the same time…” He gave Luka a look and held out his hand. When Luka took the offered hand, Shiro pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for saving my life. I won’t forget it.”</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Luka replied, embracing him back.</p><p>Shiro released him and stepped back, placing a little more distance between them. “Now, you take good care of my cousin,” Shiro warned him, the corner of his mouth turning up into a tiny smile.</p><p>“Always,” Luka promised, wrapping his arm around Kagami protectively. He pressed his lips to her forehead, and she snuggled into his side.</p><p>Shiro was just turning away when Kagami called out, “Wait!” He turned with a curious look on his face. “If everything’s out in the open,” she began hesitantly, “can we let our friends know about you?”</p><p>He cocked his head in confusion. “Why?”</p><p>“The Heroes of Paris have groups around Europe that we work with,” she explained. “We can always use more friends. And this way if you ever run into trouble here on your own, you can call them for backup.”</p><p>Shiro shrugged. “Why not?”</p><p>After making it safely through security, Kagami allowed Luka to lead her through the terminal to their gate, where they found three empty seats next to each other. Luka placed their suitcase on one, along with his coat, and insisted that she lie down across the seats while he found them something for dinner. Once he returned, he took the suitcase’s spot and shifted her head onto his lap, resting his hand on her side.</p><p>“Do you think Adrien and Marinette will appreciate us ‘recruiting’ an ally in Japan?” he asked, popping a piece of sushi in her mouth. “It’s a bit far for a visit, after all.”</p><p>“And Australia <em>isn’t</em>?” she retorted, raising an eyebrow. “With the portals, distance really doesn’t matter, does it?” she added. “Besides, all evidence to the contrary, Japan really is a nice country.”</p><p>Luka smiled, running his fingers through her hair. “With the right company.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Silent as a breath, a stealthy figure slipped through dark alleyways, always staying in the shadows. The streets around him were quiet and deserted at this time of night, well after midnight. Near his foot a stray dog growled as he approached the box where it was sleeping, and he moved to the far side of the alley. A man appeared at the far end of the alley, lit a cigarette, and leaned against the wall, casually blowing out a ring of smoke. He slowly turned in both directions, taking in his surroundings.</p><p>Before the interloper could spot him, the figure in the alley drew in a breath, whipped out his tessen, and exhaled, flicking his tessen down the alley. A sudden gust of wind blew past the man, extinguishing his cigarette and blowing it out of his mouth and out into the middle of the street. The man shivered and stepped back out of the alley. The interloper returned the tessen to its place on his belt, letting out a relieved breath.</p><p>Kamikaze had been on the run from everyone for almost two weeks now – two weeks since the neat little world he had constructed for himself had been upended in a moment.</p><p>As a child, he had been an outcast. His parents were chugoku-zanryukoji who had returned to Japan only to be treated as outcasts in what they had thought to be their home country. And as if that wasn’t enough, they had died when he was young, leaving him an orphan twice over. Bereft of family, living on the streets, the Yakuza had appeared to be fate intervening to spare his life. They had taken him in, clothed, fed, and sheltered him, and become his family. With them he had been an outcast at home with other outcasts. Kamisenshi had taken him in as <em>kobun</em>, adopting him and helping him to hone his Chikara. And in return, he had accepted the invitation to join the Kami-gumi. In gratitude to them for having saved his life and given him purpose, for the last 15 years he had served the Yakuza, never questioning that he was doing the right thing.</p><p>Not until now.</p><p>Kamikaze slipped across the street and into the shadow of another alley. Okamura-san was dead; Kamisenshi had disappeared. His Kami-gumi family was gone – Kamiyama and Kamikangae were both in prison. For that matter, the police were still hunting for him. The Yakuza on the other hand hadn’t tried to look for him, but at the same time he wasn’t sure if he wanted them to.</p><p>Suddenly everything was placed in a completely different context. No longer was he an outcast at home with other outcasts. No longer was he doing good for the people of Japan whom the rest of society had forgotten. No longer could he pretend that he had been receiving dues from people whom he and the other Kami-gumi had a responsibility to protect. No longer was he providing relief and aid to victims of natural disasters to which the government was far too slow to respond. No, he had been forced to take a cold, hard look at himself in the mirror, and he wasn’t quite sure he recognized the man looking back at him.</p><p>With the Kami-gumi, had he been an outcast protecting people like his parents, or had he become an outlaw harassing innocent shop owners like his parents?</p><p>His destination appeared in front of him: a gambling house that served as the headquarters of Okamura-san’s oyabun, a man he had only met once: Ishii-san.</p><p>His eyes narrowed.</p><p>A shadow separated from the wall near the alley’s entrance and stepped out to block his path. In the light from the lamp illuminating the sidewalk along the street opposite the gambling house, Kamikaze saw the reflected glint of a katana, partially-drawn from its sheath.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” a familiar voice demanded, one foot shifting back into a defensive posture.</p><p>“I could ask you the same thing,” Kamikaze responded, drawing both tessen from his belt, flicking them open, and adopting a wide stance.</p><p>His interrogator drew his katana fully and dropped into a crouch. “Kamikaze!”</p><p>Kamikaze’s eyes widened in recognition. “Kamiken.”</p><p>With a shout, Kamiken raced toward him, bringing his sword down in a slashing strike. Kamikaze sidestepped to avoid the attack before sending a wind slice at Kamiken, aiming to blow him out of the alley. Kamiken, however, spun around the wind gust and went almost vertical to avoid a follow-up strike as snow and detritus billowed around them. “I no longer use that name,” he retorted, swinging for Kamikaze’s head again. “I am Ronin now.”</p><p>Kamikaze ducked under the katana blade, flicked one tessen shut, and jabbed it into his opponent’s gut, pushing him away to gain distance. “‘Ronin’,” he repeated dubiously. Ronin lunged forward, and Kamikake caught his blade on the metal outer rib of his closed tessen, pushing it off course. Sweeping in with his other tessen he blew Ronin’s legs out from under him as he landed. “Answer me!” Kamikaze shouted.</p><p>Ronin stumbled and fell backward, catching himself with one hand against the alley wall and pushing off, swinging his katana around at Kamikaze from the opposite direction. “Ishii-san is dragging my family’s name and company through the mud!” Ronin’s blade moved almost faster than thought. “He must be held to account for his crimes!”</p><p>Kamikaze blocked the strike and twisted his wrist, breaking Ronin’s grip on the katana. His own tessen flew out of his hand as Ronin caught his katana with two fingers. Kamikaze kicked out at Ronin’s knee, sending a tiny wind gust at him and throwing him off balance. The katana clattered to the ground. Ronin sprang toward him, a wakizashi appearing from nowhere. Kamikaze held up his remaining tessen, blocking the wakizashi a hand’s breadth from his throat.</p><p>“Wait!” Kamizake shouted, holding out his hand. “I’m not here to fight you.”</p><p>Ronin straightened up, his grip on his wakizashi not loosening, and stared hard at Kamikaze. His mouth set in a tight line</p><p>“I want out, too.” There; he’d said it.</p><p>Ronin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.</p><p>“I–I didn’t see a way out,” Kamikaze confessed. “Not before now. When I joined, I wanted to help people – I’d heard the stories about how the Yakuza would help people. They helped me, too, for that matter. But it wasn’t really what I thought it was. I wasn’t helping people, not really. Instead I was hurting innocent people, people no different from my own parents. But I didn’t know it was possible to leave the life until you did it.”</p><p>“You want out of the Yakuza?”</p><p>Kamikaze nodded silently.</p><p>Ronin stared at him for a minute, a calculating look in his eyes. Finally he sheathed his wakizashi and held out his hand. “Welcome to the Nihon Hiro Chimu.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the conclusion of “Tokyo: Time and Again,” but all of these characters will return during the upcoming event, “The Colossus Saga” – in fact, two of the first three stories of the event will be “Lukagami”-centric.</p><p>As an aside, if any readers are actually a geisha or have firsthand knowledge to help me with a new character, let me know!</p>
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